Syrena Sport

FSO Syrena Sport was a Polish prototype sports car designed and built in the late 1950s by a group of engineers at the Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych FSO, which due to general economic and political reasons never went into mass production.

FSO Syrena Sport was 2-door coupe with a fibreglass body on a steel chassis with strengthened floor panel. The engine was a new design 4-stroke 2-cylinder air-cooled boxer engine with aluminium block. The cast-iron cylinders, cylinder heads and pistons were from the S-03 engine of the Polish motorcycle Junak. The prototype engine was fitted with accessories (carburettor, ignition, etc.) from a French car Panhard Dyna Z. It had a displacement of 700 cc and developed around 35 bhp (26 kW) at 6000 rpm, which provided adequate performance for this light car (710 kg). The engine was placed in front of the front axle and powered front wheels through a 4-gear manual gearbox, identical with that of Syrena 100. The front suspension was not identical with that from the classic Syrena, but based on the same concept: independent with single transverse feathercoil, lower A-wishbones and hydraulic dampers. Single-circuit drum brakes were installed on all wheels. Specific for Syrena Sport was the independent rear suspension, with trailing arms, torsion bars and almost horizontal hydraulic dampers. Another difference was a floor gear-shift mechanism and hydraulic-operated clutch.

FSO Syrena Sport was built at FSO in Warsaw between 1957 and 1960, designed by Cezary Nawrot.

Originally, the car was not intended for production – it was a test platform for a number of solutions and production technologies intended for the modification of Syrena sedan, which was mass-produced since 1955. Cezary Nawrot on purpose designed a very low and flat bonnet, to avoid a standard 2-stroke 2-cylinder S-15 engine (used in other Syrenas) to be installed in this car. Consequently, the available, completely new 4-stroke flat-twin engine, designated S-16, designed by Władysław Skoczyński and Andrzej Zatoń was used. Contrary to a widespread opinion, the engine did not share internal components with Panhard Dyna - only Panhard's engine accessories, such as the carburettor and ignition were used to simplify testing of the prototype. The intended rated power was around 50 bhp, but the first prototype developed around 35 bhp - performance test were carried out, but their results have not been preserved. Stanisław Łukaszewicz was the chief designer of another important innovation: self-supporting chassis with strengthened floor panel - other Syrenas at that time used traditional steel ladder frame. The stylish body of the car was moulded in fibreglass, which was the first such attempt at FSO. Syrena Sport also had a new independent rear suspension with trailing arms and torsion bars designed by Antoni Drozdek. Some other systems were built and tested, such as FSO’s first floor shifting mechanism and hydraulic-controlled clutch. Naturally, many mechanical and electrical parts were taken directly from other versions of the Syrena, including transmission, headlights, dials, etc.

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