AW (Poland) - AllCarIndex

Zakłady Przemysłowe 'Bielany' SA was a Polish automotive manufacturer based in Warsaw, founded by Anton Wieckowski in 1937. Wieckowski, who previously owned a company supplying sheet metal to Polski Fiat, sought to enter the car manufacturing industry. He engaged engineers from PZInż, the makers of the Polski Fiat, to develop a prototype vehicle in 1938.

The prototype featured a central backbone frame and was powered by a 1,300 cc four-cylinder side-valve engine, which produced 32 brake horsepower (bhp). Plans were also in place for a more powerful 40 bhp overhead valve engine. The prototype utilized a four-speed gearbox and was initially designed with an open wooden body, while the intended production model was to have an aerodynamic two-door steel saloon body. A factory was established in Warka, near Warsaw, with production scheduled to commence in 1941. At that time, Wieckowski had secured an order from the Polish Army for 1,000 light cross-country vehicles.

However, the German invasion of Poland interrupted these plans, and only about 50 percent of the factory equipment had been delivered by that time. The prototype was ultimately destroyed in 1944 during the war, and following the conflict, the company was nationalized, marking the end of its brief foray into automotive production.