Buses and coaches - Poland: books - history and construction

Polskie fabryki samochodów 1946-1989

This publication describes the various Polish manufacturers of passengers cars, vans, trucks and buses. The chapters contain information about their history and achievements in the period from the end of World War II to the fall of the communist system in 1989.
The descriptions of the factories are preceded by introductory chapters containing information about the beginnings of the Polish car industry and its situation in the socialist People's Poland. Manufacturers of specialized and special bodies are also mentioned.

After the political transformation of the state and the introduction of the free market, the factories in question did not cope with external competition. Various organizations, including foreign ones, took them over or they simply collapsed.
However, it is worth remembering the achievements of those factories that were grouped in ZPMot and bearing the Polmo logo. They formed a large socialist automotive concern - which was then an important branch of the Polish industry.

The book includes, among others, descriptions of vehicle factories in Lublin, Starachowice, Bielsko-Biała, Warsaw, Poznań, Jelcz, Sanok, Mielec and Nysa.

Text in Polish.

Pierwsze były Stary: Historia produkcji pojazdów w Polsce Ludowej

The first comprehensive and detailed history of the Polish automotive industry from 1945 to 1990. The author chronicles all serially produced vehicles and prototypes, beginning with the 1948 Star 20 trucks.
The coverage extends across various types of trucks, personal cars, delivery and agricultural vehicles, special-purpose vehicles (ambulances, tankers, fire trucks, garbage trucks, tippers, and more), buses, motorcycles, and scooters.
Complemented by detailed technical data for numerous vehicle types, the text features 350 photographs and technical drawings.

Zdzislaw Podbielski, a leading automotive journalist with extensive experience, has written thousands of press materials and authored 30 books. His expertise stems from years of work at the Industrial Institute of Motorization in Warsaw.

Text in Polish.

Samochody użytkowe RWPG

NEW

The first publication in Polish presenting commercial vehicles produced in the countries belonging to the Comecon, the so-called Eastern Bloc, which existed after World War II, until 1990.
The author explains what kind of organisation the Comecon was and what kind of vehicles are defined as commercial vehicles. He presents the vehicle manufacturers and their production profile, as well as selected models of vans, trucks and buses, taking into account their construction and operating characteristics and technical data.

The vehicles are presented according to the manufacturers operating in each country, viz: Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, the German Democratic Republic, Poland, Romania, Hungary and the Soviet Union.
The descriptions of the manufacturers and their vehicles are preceded by short chapters providing information on the origins and development of the automotive industry in the countries mentioned.

Text in Polish.

Autobusy z Sanoka: 1950-2013

A richly illustrated book devoted to buses (as well as passenger trailers) produced in 1950-2013 in the Sanok factory, initially called Sanocka Fabryka Wagonów "Sanowag", from 1958 bearing the name Sanocka Fabryka Autosów "Autosan", and from 1991 - Autosan S.A.
The book describes both mass-produced vehicles and prototypes, of which a total of almost 110,000 were produced in the Sanok factory during the period under review.

Text in Polish.

Autobusy z Bolechowa 1996-2018: Neoplan, Solaris

A richly illustrated book devoted to prototypes and production models of buses and trolleybuses made in the factory in Bolechowo near Poznań since 1996.
The private company of the Olszewski family started its activity by assembling and then developing its own versions of German Neoplan buses. In 1999, the production of buses of its own design under the Solaris brand began, and in 2001 - Solaris Trollino trolleybuses.

The book also shows visualizations of models that have not been produced. The descriptions of the vehicles are illustrated with many photos and drawings, as well as the technical data of the selected models.
The producer's rich achievements are best evidenced by the fact that during 23 years of operation, over 17,000 buses and trolleybuses were produced, of which over 11,000 were exported to many countries. The book uses illustrations provided by Solaris Bus & Coach.

Text in Polish.

Trolejbusy w Polsce

Trolleybus networks have existed in Poland since 1930. For many years, this mode of transportation operated in 14 cities, with plans for expansion to others. Currently, these electric vehicles can be found in the streets of Gdynia, Sopot, Lublin, and Tychy.

The book narrates the history and current status of trolleybuses, explaining their technical operation, detailing the construction of the overhead wire system, and presenting the electric fleet used across the country.

Text in Polish.

Lastwagen & Busse Osteuropas