The Syrena R-20 was the pick-up member of the Polish Syrena family. It was introduced on the 104 models of the car together with the Bosto panel van and was built by FSM in Bielsko-Biała until production of the Syrena ended in 1983.
FSO Syrena R-20 at a glance
| Type | pick-up |
|---|---|
| Maker | FSM (Fabryka Samochodów Małolitrażowych), Bielsko-Biała |
| Based on | Syrena 104 |
| Sister model | Syrena Bosto panel van |
| Family | FSO Syrena, built from 1957 to 1983 |
| Engine | three-cylinder two-stroke |
| Layout | engine longitudinally ahead of the front axle, front-wheel drive |
| End of production | 1983, with the Syrena saloon and Bosto |
| Syrena production total | 521,311 cars built by FSO and FSM |
The R-20 is mentioned only briefly in the shared English and Polish Wikipedia articles on the FSO Syrena, so this page is based on those few statements and is considerably shorter than a full model article.
History of the FSO Syrena R-20
The commercial Syrenas
Besides the saloon, the Syrena was built in two commercial forms: the Bosto panel van and the R-20 pick-up. Both were first introduced to the 104 models of the Syrena and both were made at the FSM factory in Bielsko-Biała. The Bosto was the better documented of the two, with its two editions and payload ratings; the pick-up shared the same saloon-derived front end and mechanical layout.
Mechanics
The R-20 used the Syrena’s three-cylinder two-stroke engine, mounted longitudinally in front of the front axle and driving the front wheels through a gearbox with driveshafts running sideways out of it, exactly as in the saloon and the Bosto. The family that the pick-up belonged to was produced from 1957 to 1983, first by FSO in Warsaw and then by FSM in Bielsko-Biała, with a total of 521,311 cars.
Why it is little known
The R-20 is mentioned only in passing in the histories of the Syrena, which concentrate on the saloons and on the Bosto van. Its production figures and detailed specification are not recorded in the sources used here, so this page stays with what those sources state.
Design and features
- Pick-up body: the load-carrying version of the Syrena commercial range.
- 104 base: introduced together with the Bosto on the Syrena 104.
- Shared mechanics: three-cylinder two-stroke engine and front-wheel drive from the saloon.
- Bielsko-Biała build: made by FSM alongside the van and the 105 saloon.
FSO Syrena R-20 versions
- Syrena R-20: the pick-up itself, on the 104 base.
- Syrena Bosto: the panel-van sister model, built in 104B and 105B editions.
The van sister of the R-20 is described in the article on the Syrena Bosto. The saloons it was based on are covered by the Syrena 104 and Syrena 105 pages; more cars are in the Syrena collection.
Sources
- FSO Syrena, English Wikipedia: the R-20 pick-up and its relation to the Bosto and the 104
- FSO Syrena, Polish Wikipedia: the Syrena family and its production years
