In the first years after World War II, efforts began to launch the production of passenger cars in Poland. As it was impossible to produce a native design at the time, discussions began with Fiat to purchase a license for the production of the Fiat 1100. The license was based on the production of 10000 cars in the newly built factory in Warsaw-Zeran. Due to political pressure from the USSR, the talks with Fiat failed. Instead of the Italian design, the Soviets offered Poland a free-of-charge licence to manufacture the GAZ M-20 Pobieda car, which was known in Poland as the Warszawa M-20.
The Warszawa M-20 model 200 passenger car, manufactured between 1957-60, is a version of the Warszawa M20, which itself was manufactured from 1951 on a licence from the Soviet Union but modernised by Polish designers. It has a design typical of the 1940s, with a classical drivetrain arrangement. An inline, four-cylinder flathead petrol engine is placed at the front and is connected to a three-speed transmission that propels the rear axle via a propeller shaft. The front suspension is independent. It has a multilink design with a stabiliser bar. At the rear, a rigid axle was suspended on leaf springs. Vibrations were damped with arm shock absorbers. The front part of the monocoque body has a subframe at the front to which the suspension and driveline components are mounted. The dual-circuit, hydraulic brake system uses brake drums and operates on all four wheels of the vehicle.
The design for the modernisation of the Warszawa to model 200 aimed to rejuvenate a vehicle that was becoming out of date by introducing changes in its appearance and slightly increasing its engine power. It was the work of Polish engineers from the Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych and arose without the involvement of USSR delegates. The Warszawa 200 was the first Polish car after WWII to be sold on a retail basis, including financing by instalments. The price of the vehicle, which was the equivalent of more than 120 average salaries, narrowed down the group of potential clients to the richest sectors of society. The poet Jan Brzechwa was one of the first buyers.