FSC Lublin-51 (nákladní automobil)

The FSC Lublin-51 is a licensed production truck GAZ-51 manufactured by Fabryka Samochodów Ciężarowych im. B. Bierut in Lublin. The decision to carry out the production was made in December 1948, with a plan to produce 12,000 cars per year. To ensure a smooth start of production, a group of Soviet experts from Gorkov Automobile Plant worked in the car factory from 1949, and in 1950 the first components were delivered from the USSR. The actual assembly began in 1951 and on the occasion of the VOSR celebrations on 07.11.1951 the first 34 vehicles left the factory gates. By the end of 1951, the number increased to 88 units and on 16.07.1952 the thousandth car was assembled. The design capacity of the production was reached in 1954, but nevertheless the production of the model was far behind the originally planned production, as apart from Lublin-51, a vehicle from the production of the Fabryka Samochodów Ciężarowych im. Feliks Dzierżyński's Starachowice car with a payload of 1.5 tonnes more was also available, and production of the smaller and more economical Žuk was gradually ramping up. By the end of production in mid-1959, 17497 (17840 - sources vary) cars were produced, including special bodies (e.g. ambulances, travelling cinema, prison workshop, field workshop and others). Changes from the GAZ-51A were also applied to the vehicle during production.


The first cars were made from components imported from the USSR. As production increased, so did the number of components supplied by Polish enterprises of the national economy. The first were components for the flatbed itself and tyres (Stomil) with a different (road) tread than the original off-road tread on Soviet tyres. From 1952, steel cab panels were added and from 1956 the front axle, suspension and rims were also produced locally. Locally produced items also included turn signals and other small components. Until production ended, however, major engine and transmission parts were imported from the USSR.



A visual distinguishing feature of the Lublin-51 from the Soviet original may be the stamped lettering on the side panels of the engine compartment. While the Soviet GAZ-51/GAZ-51A have "Avtozavod имени Молотова" or "Gorьковский автозавод" there, the serial Lublin-51 vehicles have "Fabryka Samochodów Ciężarowych Lublin"

Sources: xn----7sbb5ahj4aiadq2m.xn--p1ai
http://yogi.bubu.w.interia.pl/02_02.htm (webarchive)