The Wars was a concept car developed by FSO, Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych, the established Polish car manufacturer based in Warsaw. Its name derived from the name of the Polish capital. FSO had for many years built cars based on the old Fiat 125, and from that design it also derived the Polonez, which used a more modern hatchback body.
The Wars represented a departure from that lineage: it was a prototype for a compact, front-wheel-drive car with a 1.3-liter engine, developed entirely by Polish engineers and designers rather than being based on an existing foreign design. It measured 380 centimeters in overall length, and its silhouette invited comparison with the Skoda Favorit, a car produced in neighboring Czechoslovakia at the time.
The Wars carried considerable expectations as a demonstration of independent Polish automotive engineering. At the same time, another Polish manufacturer, FSM in the south of the country, was building the Fiat 126 and was already reported to be preparing a thoroughly modern small car as its successor. Following FSO's opening toward Western markets in 1990, the company's future direction became uncertain, and the prospect of an alliance with a stronger partner meant the Wars was regarded from the outset as likely to remain a concept car rather than reach production.
