A staggering number of 35 legendary Fiat 126 cars, once commonly referred to in Poland as the “Little Ones” or “Little Fiat” (Maluch, Mały Fiat), have set off on a charity trip from Bielsko-Biała to Monte Carlo

11 lipca 2023

At noon, a convoy of Little Fiats left Bielsko-Biała to take part in the Grand Maluch Tour - the biggest automotive charity project ever. The aim of the project is to raise PLN one million to help children injured in car accidents.

Crowds gathered in front of the Gemini Mall in Bielsko to bid farewell to 120 participants of the tour. The highlight of the event was a Mały Fiat hanging down a helicopter on a 25-meter-long rope. After making a few circles around the venue, the helicopter landed safely to allow Remigiusz “Rezi” Wierzgoń and Szymon „Szumi” Szumniak – popular youtubers, to enter the car as its drivers.

The Fiats are expected to do between 380 and 600 kilometres daily and the drivers expect to cover a distance of 2,000 kilometres during the first 4 days alone. The other Maluchs will be driven by Poland’s legendary racing drivers: Longin Bielak, Sobiesław Zasada, Rafał Sonik, Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Bartosz Ostałowski.

Noble Cause

The cause of the tour is to raise money to help children. The cash raised during the event will be handed over to the Polish Automotive Association Fund and the Inter Furs Foundation to help children requiring psychological support and rehabilitation.

The event is accompanied by side events, including a fundraiser organized in cooperation with Zrzutka.pl, Poland’s biggest fundraising platform, and auctions offering unique items, e.g. one of the Maluchs taking part in the Tour: https://zrzutka.pl/wielkawyprawamaluchow.

I feel truly happy only when I can share with others. For many years, I had thought of how top rally drivers could contribute to a good cause. This project is a dream-come-true for me and I’m sure it will contribute to improving road safety and change the lives of thousands of children

says Rafał Sonik, a winner of the Dakar Rally, a nine-time winner of the off-road rally World Cup and a WWM 2023 ambassador

I think I’m the best example of someone who was able to get their life back and continue to pursue their hobbies and make their dreams come true thanks to the support and help of other people

says Bartek Ostałowski, the world’s only pro sports driver driving his car with his feet

He has lost his hands in a car crash. The Maluch he will be driving during the Tour features an automatic gearbox and has been prepared specially to suit his needs.

The challenge is to make it to Monte Carlo. It’s going to be a long trip, and some of the roads are difficult even for modern cars. We must keep in mind that the Fiats don’t have power steering or air-conditioning

says the Tour director, Marcin Małysz

The oldest Fiat taking part in the Tour is 50. The Tour also features a Maluch convertible and three Maluchs of a total 400 horsepower, which are to take place in a special show at the racing track in Greinbach, Austria.

The route

The route runs through Czechia, Austria, Italy and France. The participants will also climb the Gloss Glockner alpine road and reach an altitude of 3,768 meters.

They are also going to drive down sections of the legendary winding Monte Carlo Race route. This is exactly the same route that Sobieslaw Zasada and Longin Bielak drove down in a Maluch during the 1975 Monte Carlo Rally.

I took part in that rally to show Poles that Mały Fiat was capable of making such long and difficult trips. I’m happy to take part in this event because of its noble cause

says Poland’s legendary, 93-year-old rally driver, Sobiesław Zasada

The Zasada-Bielak team’s combined age is 190 years!

Bidding farewell to the participants of the rally, vice-president of Bialsko-Biała, Adam Rusiniak said:

The whole city, in which 50 years ago began the production of the Mały Fiat, is proud to host this event. We keep our fingers crossed and wish you all an enjoyable trip!

You can follow the project and support it at: www.wielkawyprawamaluchow.pl.

The 2023 Children Grand Maluch Monte-Carlo Tour has been organized by 126 Evolution and the Krakow Automobile Club. The Tour is taking place under the auspices of the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Malopolska Regional Road Safety Council and the Polish Motor Association. The main partners are Inter Cars, InPost and the Cichy-Zasada Group, 4F, Kensol and Capek.