A family treasure of memory left by my grandpa

The treasure I am writing about is a rally plate from the 1973 Rally of Poland. My grandpa has owned it since receiving it. The plate was placed on my grandpa's car during the start.

My grandpa, Marian Bień, is one of the legends of Polish Motorsport. He won the title Polish Rally Champion in the 1969 as a co-driver of Ryszard Nowicki, and individual title of Polish Champion in 1970 on Porsche 911. He competed multiple rallies as a codriver of Sobiesław Zasada. He ended his career in 1977, but remained involved in the automotive industry for most of his life. He died on 2015, at the age of 76.

Polish Fiat 125p– a passenger car, manufactured in Poland at the Warsaw Passenger Car Factory from 1967 to 1991, under license from the Italian FIAT. Commonly referred to as the “Big Fiat” a total of 1,445,699 units of the model were produced. The Passenger Car Research and Development Center (OBRSO) was responsible for the modernization of the car. Piotr Jaroszewicz was the prime minister from 1970 to 1980. His son, Andrzej was a leading rally driver, and it was on his initiative that the OBRSO Sports Department was established in 1974. The Sports Department was a professional rally team bringing together the best polish drivers, including my grandpa.

Until 1972, the European Championships were the arena for the world's best rally drivers. From 1973, it was decided to hold the World Manufacturers' Championship with the Rally of Poland.

After a successful 1972 season, my grandpa was invited to join the Polish Fiat factory team. After a successful start in the Monte Carlo and others rallies, my grandpa entered the Rally of Poland with high hopes for a good result. The problem in 1973 was the service, because the team did not have its own, the cars were serviced by Italians. But the best mechanics were working with Fiat's top drivers: Aaltonen, Warmbold who were competing in Fiat 124 Abarths.

My grandpa entered the Rally of Poland in a “Big Fiat” with co-driver Wiesław Nicieja.

After a cool spring, July 1973 was finally warm, with a rally route of 3,171km. Training before the rally went very well, and grandpa was ready to fight. Finally, on July 12, the first Special Stage (SS) of the rally, “Chełm-Bielany” took place in Krakow- 6.3 km, with the average speed at around 95 kmh. As my grandpa was leaving the service zone, he was informed that new brake pads had been installed in the car and that they needed to bed in.

4:27 p.m. Start of the SS. Co-driver counts down 5,4,the engine running at full throttle,3,2,1, START! they're off.. the familiar route through Lasek Wolski, very fast. The Italian COLOTTI gearbox working with its characteristic whir. Section of the route with a drop into the turn onto Księcia Józefa Street, a tight turn, the co-driver dictates “2 plus right”, Grandpa delays braking to the limit, every meter is important.. the struggle, and.. NOTHING! the brake pedal sinks to the floor, the car doesn't slow down. Grandpa fights to the end. The car went off the road. The brakes were replaced by the service, but the brake system was not bled. Fortunately, the damage is not serious, it is possible to continue driving.

The gap to the winner is over two minutes, but the rally is over 3,000 km long, so everything is still up for grabs. After the SS, there is no time for a thorough assessment of the damage, you have to drive on, to reach the next SS, and then another, to finish the day at 3:01 a.m.

the next day with the 17th SS near Zieleniec. At around 5:30 p.m., before Andrychów, the engine temperature in the car with number 21 begins to rise alarmingly, and a strange noise comes from the engine, but everything returns to normal. After the fourth SS in Wisła, a service is planned, and the “mechanics” need to be asked to check it.

5:51 p.m. Start of the SS, Targanica..starting procedure 3,2,1-they're off.. after 3 km, the disturbing noises, the temperature goes off the scale, grandpa sees clouds of white smoke in the rear mirror, the noise from the engine is unbearable...THE END.

The water pump, which was not replaced before the rally, seized upended weeks of preparation and chances for a good place. The carelessness of the Italian service was one of the reasons for the creation of own Sports Department of Polish Fiat Factory a year later.

The 1973 Rally of Poland went down in history as the one that only three crews finished. Among them was grandpa's teammate and friend -Maciek Stawowiak. The rally was won by Warmbold from the Fiat factory team.

In later years, Grandpa had more success competing in a Polish Fiat, culminating in 1975 when he took 16th place in the Monte Carlo Rally.

Each souvenir from grandpa's rallies has its own story, the trophies for victories are happy ones, the plaque described above and the others are dramatic ones. But they are all very important to us, especially now that Grandpa is no longer with us.