The Nysa N59 was the model that turned the Nysa from a small prototype series into a regular production vehicle. Introduced in 1959, it was built as a van, a minibus and an ambulance, and it was the first Nysa sold abroad.
Nysa N59 at a glance
| Maker | Zakład Budowy Nadwozi Samochodowych (ZBNS), Nysa, Poland |
|---|---|
| Production | from 1959 |
| Earlier models | Nysa N57 (1957) and N58 (1958) |
| Versions | N59-F van, N59-M minibus, N59-S ambulance |
| Engine | M-20 2,120 cc side-valve petrol, 36.8 kW |
| Gearbox | three-speed, second and third synchronized |
| Wheelbase | 2,700 mm |
| Tyres | 6.50-16 |
| Kerb weight | 1,500 kg (minibus) |
| Gross weight | 2,250 kg |
| Top speed | 90 km/h |
| Built in 1959 | 1,350 in three versions |
The Nysa N59 is described in sections of the Polish, English and German Wikipedia articles on the Nysa; this page uses those sections.
History of the Nysa N59
From the N57 to the N59
The plant in Nysa began life in 1952 as Zakłady Budowy Nadwozi Samochodowych, building specialist bodies on Lublin-51 and Star 20 lorry chassis. In 1957 it was decided to develop a small delivery van of up to about one tonne, using the engine, transmission and running gear of the FSO Warszawa saloon. A design prepared by FSO was rejected as impractical, and the Nysa team built its own body on a strengthened version of the Warszawa frame. By December 1957 thirteen prototypes, designated N57, had been completed. In 1958 the plant built 313 Nysa N58 vans.
The 1959 model
The N59 of 1959 introduced a series of improvements worked out from testing and from customers’ comments. It received new wheels and stronger 6.50-16 tyres, a new band-type auxiliary brake acting on the propeller shaft, and changes to the electrical equipment. Three versions were made: the N59-F van, the N59-M minibus and the N59-S ambulance. The ambulance was based on the minibus, with the driver’s cab separated from the medical compartment by a partition fitted with a sliding window; a ventilation opening with a fan was built into the roof, and the interior was heated by an additional heater connected to the cooling system. In total 1,350 Nysa N59 vehicles were built in 1959.
Chassis and body
The Nysa used a welded ladder frame with side members of 100 by 50 by 3 mm rectangular section. The front wheels were independently suspended on double wishbones of unequal length with coil springs, lever-arm hydraulic dampers and an anti-roll bar; the rear axle sat on two longitudinal leaf springs. Brakes were hydraulically operated drums on all four wheels, the handbrake worked on the rear drums, and steering was by a worm-and-roller gear. The 12 V electrical system used a 220 W dynamo and a 51 Ah lead-acid battery. The closed body was built on a welded steel skeleton with 0.8 mm steel panels, and the minibus seated passengers on three two-person benches behind the driver and passenger seats. With a kerb weight of 1,500 kg and a gross weight of 2,250 kg, the minibus reached 90 km/h and used about 15–16 litres of petrol per 100 km.
Export and the models that followed
Export began in the N59’s first year, with 200 vehicles sold abroad; the export versions were better equipped than those for the home market. The Nysa range continued to grow: in 1960 came the N60-T towos, a combined goods and passenger version with windows in both side walls and folding benches for eight people, and in 1961 the N61-K mobile cinema, built for the Ministry of Culture and Art with a 16 mm projector, a generator compartment and loudspeakers in sliding windows.
Design and features
- Three body versions: the N59-F van, N59-M minibus and N59-S ambulance were all built in the first year.
- Stronger running gear: new wheels and 6.50-16 tyres replaced the earlier 6.00-16 size.
- New auxiliary brake: a band brake acting on the propeller shaft replaced the earlier arrangement.
- Proper ambulance: partition with sliding window, roof vent with fan and an extra heater.
Nysa N59 versions
- N59-F: the cargo van version.
- N59-M: the minibus, the basis for the ambulance.
- N59-S: the ambulance with a separate medical compartment.
- Export versions: better equipped than the cars sold in Poland.
The N59 was followed by the Nysa 501 family of 1964 and, from 1968, by the Nysa 521/522. More vehicles are in the Nysa collection.
Video: Jaki będzie finał? – Nysa N59 M w odbudowie
Video by Polska na Kołach on YouTube.
Sources
- ZSD Nysa, Polish Wikipedia: N59 versions, production, chassis details
- ZSD Nysa, English Wikipedia: engines, variants, export
- Nysa (Kleinbus), German Wikipedia: chassis, performance, production totals
