The Fiat 126p is a legendary and iconic car that holds a special place in the hearts of automotive enthusiasts.
Today, owning a Maluch is not only a nostalgic return to the days of communist Poland, but also an opportunity to bring another surviving example back to life, as their numbers unfortunately continue to decline. Not everyone, however, is satisfied with the original design created by Sergio Sartorelli.
Fortunately, there is no shortage of enthusiasts willing to break with convention and create highly advanced — and often downright absurd — projects in their home garages, going far beyond anything the engineers responsible for the original model could have imagined. Almost everyone knows what a Fiat 126p looks like. But have you ever heard of the 126.6p, a version with three axles and six wheels?
The creator of this unusual project is Radek Gutkowski, whose garage is home to several other unconventional vehicles. The idea of modifying a Maluch came spontaneously, but to achieve his goals he needed a Bis version, which features a horizontally mounted engine and therefore provided enough space to create a flat pickup bed.
From there, things were supposedly easier — the enthusiast found a suitable example on a German auction website and, after bringing it to Poland, began the conversion by cutting the Maluch apart with an angle grinder. The most important cut was made just behind the B-pillar, where the rear section of a standard Fiat 126p was welded into place.
From the beginning, Radek knew he wanted to create a three-axle pickup. Importantly, the original wheelbase was retained, while an entirely new structure had to be built behind the rear axle to accommodate the additional axle, suspension and shock absorbers, all taken from a Maluch.
Interestingly, the suspension arms on the additional axle are installed backwards, facing opposite the direction of travel. This was necessary because in the standard configuration, the mounting holes would have interfered with the engine.
According to the builder, the additional axle has virtually no effect on handling. It is not driven and merely supports the weight of the various components. The pickup bed even carries a wheel from an F1 car.
At first glance, Radek Gutkowski’s Fiat 126.6p is clearly an advanced and time-consuming project. Although he plans to make several further changes to the interior, which is currently stock, the actual conversion was surprisingly quick.
It took just two weeks to cut apart the body, modify the structure and adapt it for the additional axle and rear pickup section. Another three weeks were enough to complete all the remaining bodywork and paintwork.
The first Fiat 126p rolled off the production line at the Fabryka Samochodów Małolitrażowych in Bielsko-Biała in 1973, while production ended in 2000. Over 27 years, more than 3.3 million Maluchs were produced.
