The Syrena 104 was the version of Poland’s small FSO car built from 1966 to 1972. It brought the three-cylinder two-stroke engine, a synchronized gearbox and restyled tail lights, and it was the last Syrena designed and built entirely by FSO in Warsaw before production moved to Bielsko-Biała.
FSO Syrena 104 at a glance
| Maker | FSO (Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych), Warsaw |
|---|---|
| Production | 1966–1972 |
| Predecessor | Syrena 103 (1963–66) |
| Successor | Syrena 105 (1972–83) |
| Engine | three-cylinder two-stroke, introduced in 1965 |
| Gearbox | synchronized manual |
| Body | two-door saloon |
| Layout | engine mounted longitudinally ahead of the front axle, front-wheel drive |
| Tail lights | restyled for the 104 |
| Prototype | Syrena Laminat, produced from 1968 |
| Syrena production total | 521,311 cars built by FSO and FSM |
The 104 is described in a short section of the shared English and Polish Wikipedia articles on the FSO Syrena; this page uses those sections only, so it is shorter than a full model article.
History of the FSO Syrena 104
The Syrena line
The Syrena was first shown at the Poznań Trade Fair in 1955 and built from 1957, first by FSO in Warsaw and from 1972 by FSM in Bielsko-Biała. Over its long run the car changed only in detail: the models were the 100, 101, 102, 103 and 104, and the most popular was the 105. All were two-door saloons with two-stroke engines, and in 1965 the Syrena received a larger three-cylinder engine.
What the 104 changed
The model that followed the 103 lasted from 1966 to 1972. It had the new three-cylinder engine, a synchronized gearbox and restyled tail lights. The mechanical layout stayed as before: the engine sat longitudinally ahead of the front axle and drove the front wheels through a gearbox with driveshafts running sideways out of it.
The Laminat prototype
Alongside the steel-bodied cars, from 1968 a prototype model named Laminat was produced. The surviving example in the photographs is the third Laminat prototype, built in 1973 on the 104 base. The Syrena 104 was replaced in 1972 by the 105, which was built by FSM and became the longest-running and most numerous Syrena.
Design and features
- Three-cylinder engine: the 104 was the Syrena of the larger three-cylinder two-stroke unit that arrived in 1965.
- Synchronized gearbox: easier gear changing than the earlier non-synchronized transmission.
- Restyled tail lights: the most visible change from the 103.
- Front-wheel drive: the engine ahead of the front axle and driveshafts running sideways from the gearbox.
FSO Syrena 104 versions
- Syrena 104 (1966–1972): the standard two-door saloon.
- Syrena Laminat (from 1968): prototype with a plastic body on the 104 base; the third prototype survives and is shown here.
The 104 was followed by the Syrena 105, which in turn gave its chassis to the Bosto van and the R-20 pick-up. More cars are in the Syrena collection.
Video: Moja zabytkowa SYRENA 104
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- FSO Syrena, English Wikipedia: model line, 104 changes, Laminat prototype, production totals
- FSO Syrena, Polish Wikipedia: history of the family and production in Warsaw and Bielsko-Biała
