An Unexpected Automotive Gem on the motorway

What can one expect from a stop at a small petrol station located next to a motorway? Overpriced petrol, poor coffee, and hot dogs made from very questionable ingredients. But if you are driving from Wrocław to Warsaw along the S8, you may come across quite a surprise.

Located between Tomaszów Mazowiecki and Rawa Mazowiecka, close to the town of Czerniewice, this petrol station doesn’t look too spectacular from a distance. Just a local facility belonging to a small Polish network called Moya. But as you drive onto the property, you quickly realize that this place is not like any other, as it features a very interesting exhibition of classic cars. The collection comprises cars from the former communist bloc: Polski Fiat, Trabant, Lada, Zastava, and Škoda – almost all of the cars made behind the Iron Curtain.

The evolution of popular cars followed a common pattern. When they were introduced to the market, they reflected contemporary trends and technologies. In most cases, they were simple, yet they could reasonably compete at a global level among lower-tier products. However, over their excessively long production spans, these cars were modernized with questionable success. Technical improvements were often offset by the removal of distinctive design features.

Cars whose bodies clearly originated in previous eras were cheaply updated with poorly fitted plastic parts. These once nice-looking and reasonably well-equipped machines gradually transformed into a testament to the difficulties engineers had to face under the conditions of a communist economy. The founder of the collection, Bogusław Kułakowski, had a very clear idea behind it – he wanted to display the initial and final versions of these long-running models.

But the most popular models are not the only ones in the collection. One of the rarest cars here is the Mikus – a Polish copy of the Goggomobil. The short life of this model was troubled not only by very poor quality but also, unsurprisingly, by copyright claims from its original manufacturer.

The cars in the collection are displayed in glass kiosks. This does not ensure the best viewing experience, but it is understandable. In this way, the vehicles are protected not only from the weather but also from visitors who may not respect someone else’s property. Moreover, the exhibition is open 24/7, and no ticket purchase is required.

If you want to see the exhibition, just stop at the Moya station on the S8 near Czerniewice and enjoy the view. Don’t miss it if you happen to be in the area.