The February 1960 issue of Popular Science has an article titled "Car-Hungry Poles Build 'Em from Junk."
On the far side of the Iron Curtain, the smell and glitter of brand-new cars and auto showrooms is almost wholly unknown. Even there, however, mechanically minded young men have shown themselves willing to trade ingenuity and hard work for the dreamy joys of actually owning a car.
Pickings are poor in Polish junkyards; little is thrown away until it reaches the absolute end of the road. Blacksmith chassis parts and hand hammered sheet-metal are often necessary. Finding a repairable motor and transmission is usually the hardest job of all. Many of these labors of love produce strange looking vehicles. Frequently they show the influence of American car design. Shown here are some of the finalists in a recent contest to find the best homemade machine. Sponsored by Polish magazine, it attracted some 180 entries.