Melex – the first Polish “electrician” in serial production. Already half a century ago he carried tourists around Warsaw

In the 1970s, Warsaw could be visited by an electric car. National Melexy was used for tourist service – the open body gave good visibility in all directions, the vehicle rode in city traffic not very fast, and the driver also fulfilled the function of the guide.

The 1970s brought large social and economic changes in Poland. Many licenses for fashionable and needed products for society were purchased, including Fiat 126 car, Coca-Cola, Marlboro cigarettes or vibovit vitamin preparation. Tourism was also developed and promoted. Workplaces built holiday resorts, and specialized companies organized tourist traffic in large cities and historical places. Poland was advertised as a country friendly to tourists from the West. In a dynamically developing fashion for tourism, Warsaw has become one of the most popular cities.

Melexy most often chosen by tourists

The Warsaw Tourist Przedsiębiorstwo Syrena organized visiting the city with various vehicles – discovered buses, special Polish cars of Poland FIAT 125p – convertibles with three rows of seats, and Melex electric cars. The latter were most often chosen by tourists.

In the presented photo, taken in the summer of 1977 by Mariusz Szyperka, you can see Melexy waiting for tourists on Podwale Street at Plac Zamkowy. This vehicle could transport three people plus a driver. The cost of the journey was PLN 7 per kilometer or PLN 140 per hour. The average salary in Poland was then PLN 4,600. Foreign tourists visiting Poland had to exchange currencies for gold. According to the official banking exchange rate, 1 dollar cost a dozen or so zlotys. However, no one sold the currency in the bank, because the black market exchange rate was six times larger and amounted to PLN 100-120 per dollar. Hotel staff willingly helped in the exchange of currency “to the left”. Outside the hotel, tourists were cheated. Cheating techniques when buying a currency from foreigners are shown by the film “Sztos” dir. Olaf Lubaszenki (1997).

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Visiting Warsaw Melex was very popular. The open body gave good visibility in all directions, the vehicle rode in city traffic not very fast, and the driver often fulfilled the function of a guide.

The first Polish “electrician” in serial production

Melex was the first Polish electric car produced seriously. Until 1977, when the presented photograph was taken, over 46,000 factor gates. Melex arts – a significant part was exported, including to the United States.

The history of this car dates back to 1970 – then designers from the WSK Mielec Aviation Zakłady Mielec (Mielec Equipment Factory) built a small electric car adapted for driving in golf courses. He received the name Melex. Americans became interested in this vehicle. In the fight for the American market, our electrics won with Japanese vehicles. Melexy was an electromobility, which today becomes everyday life. Although over 50 years have passed, the style of this vehicle is still attractive.

Three years later, the construction of a prototype of an electric car called City Car Melex was completed. It was the first electric city car built in Poland with a closed body. However, the project ended only at the prototype stage.

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The public presentation of a whole range of vehicles from the Melex family took place in front of the Palace of Culture and Science in May 1974. In addition to the show, they were also transported by viewers on the surrounding streets. The following year, Melexy appeared on the streets of the capital as vehicles for tourist service. A large number of photos from the show in front of the Palace of Culture and city rides are located in the photo base of the Polish Press Agency.

Once economics, now ecology

Currently, ecology is the main reason for creating electric cars. Half a century ago, it was officially talked about, but economics was in those realities. In the early 1970s, gas was expensive and difficult to access, while the electric current was in almost every building.

After over 50 years, Melexy is still produced in a little changed form and are exported to the whole world. They can be found, for example, in historic parks, zoos, hospitals, in golf courses, airports, cemeteries, in the streets of Polish cities, as tourist vehicles.