The Role of Polish United Workers’ Party (PZPR) Officials in the Investment Process: The Case of the Small-Engine Car Factory (FSM) in the Early 1970s Available to Purchase

In the 1960s and 1970s, Soviet bloc countries launched a number of automotive projects in cooperation with Western companies. One such initiative was the Small-Engine Car Factory (FSM) in Bielsko and Tychy, Poland. This article explores the involvement of regional party officials and an interest group formed around provincial party leaders in the implementation of the FSM project in the early 1970s. The analysis focuses on the role of this group in initiating the car factory project, as well as its activities during the decision-making and construction process. An examination of archival documents shows that a coalition of regional party apparatchiks and auto industry representatives played a key role in launching the project and overcoming delays and financial problems during its implementation. As a result, the implementation of FSM was one of the most effective in the Soviet bloc countries.