The Lublin II was the second generation of the light commercial van built by FSC in Lublin. The line had started in 1993 with the Lublin 33 as a replacement for the ageing Żuk; after Daewoo Motors took control of the factory the van was renamed Lublin II, and in 1997 it received a thorough modernisation.
Lublin II at a glance
| Maker | FSC / Daewoo Motor Polska, Lublin |
|---|---|
| Class | light commercial van |
| Line started | Lublin 33, 1993 |
| Lublin II introduced | 1997 |
| Predecessor | FSC Żuk, discontinued 1998 |
| Engines | 4C90 diesel 72 hp; 4CT90 turbo diesel 90 hp; 2.0 MPFI petrol 105 hp |
| 1997 changes | new gearbox, power steering, front disc brakes, new grille, Polonez-based dashboard |
| Petrol option from 1997 | 2.2 C22 NED, 117 hp, Holden (GM) |
| GVW | 3.5-tonne version added in 1997 |
| Assembly | Lublin; Craiova, Romania 1996–2001; Avia, Czechia 1997–1999 |
| Replaced by | Lublin 3, 1999 |
The Lublin van is described in the English article FSC Lublin and in the Polish article FS Lublin; this page uses those two texts.
History of the Lublin II
Work on a successor to the Żuk and the Nysa went back to the late 1970s and the 1980s, when the Lublin factory, together with the Nysa body works, built unified prototypes including the Lublin 25 and Lublin 35 and the Nysa 321, 25 and 325. For reasons that were probably political the vehicles never entered production. A new Polish diesel engine was designed at Andoria in Andrychów from 1974 and tested at the British Ricardo institute in 1976 and 1979, but it too stayed a prototype.
Serial production of the van finally began on 15 October 1993 with the Lublin 33, powered by the 4C90 engine of 72 hp. At first only a chassis was offered, with a flatbed, a container or a laminated van body; from 1996 came a turbocharged 4CT90 of 90 hp and a 2.0 MPFI petrol engine of 105 hp from General Motors, of which few were made. The integral van arrived in September 1996 and a high-roof version a year later.
In 1997 production of the considerably modernised Lublin II began. It had a new gearbox, power steering, front disc brakes, a different grille, a new dashboard modelled on the Polonez Plus and a steering wheel from the Polonez with the DMP logo, plus many smaller changes. At the end of that year a 3.5-tonne gross vehicle weight version joined the range together with a 2.2 C22 NED petrol engine of 117 hp from Holden, part of the GM group. Between 1996 and 2001 Lublins were also assembled at Daewoo Automobile Romania in Craiova, and between 1997 and 1999 at the Avia factory in Czechia. The Lublin 3 replaced the II in 1999.
Design and features
- Modernised cab: the 1997 dashboard came from the Polonez Plus, with a Polonez steering wheel carrying the DMP logo.
- Better brakes and steering: front disc brakes and power-assisted steering arrived with the Lublin II.
- Wider engine range: the 72 hp 4C90 and 90 hp 4CT90 diesels were joined by 105 hp and 117 hp petrol units.
- 3.5-tonne version: a heavier gross vehicle weight variant was added at the end of 1997.
Lublin II versions
- Lublin 33 (1993–1995): the original van, with a chassis for flatbed, container and laminated van bodies.
- 4CT90 turbo diesel: 90 hp, available from 1996.
- 2.0 MPFI petrol: 105 hp General Motors unit, built in small numbers.
- Integral van and high roof: from September 1996, with the raised roof a year later.
- Lublin II 3.5 t: heavier version with the 117 hp Holden petrol engine, from late 1997.
The van line followed the factory’s first model, the FSC Lublin-51 truck, and was continued by the Lublin 3. More vehicles are in the Lublin collection.
Sources
- FSC Lublin, English Wikipedia: model line, Daewoo period, later owners
- FS Lublin, Polish Wikipedia: Lublin 33, 1997 modernisation, engines, assembly
