Living car museum

Sirenje, ajvar, tafche-grafcze, rakija, kebab, shopska salad, amazing nature, sun and amazing atmosphere created by people - these are some of the first associations I have in my head about Macedonia. I believe that most people who have visited this country at least once in their life would say the same. As a volunteer for the European Solidarity Corps, I have been living in Skopje for almost five months. This is enough time to get used to the new everyday life. After such a long time, it is difficult to be surprised by anything...

...EXCEPT IN HERE!

Every day, I see new things and experience different situations that make it impossible to get bored. Cars are one of those things. And maybe Macedonians do not pay much attention to them because they are obvious to them. For tourists, it is a natural attraction that can bring back a lot of memories.

In many countries, the flagship cars that were produced in Yugoslavia, i.e., Yugo, Zastawa, and Fico, and those produced in other parts of Europe, such as Skoda or Fiat, can only be seen in museums. In Macedonia, I see them every day. In many places, forgotten, abandoned in scrap yards in others, they are pearls for collectors who are ready to pay large sums to buy specific models, and here still operational and ready to ride every day, they make walking the streets of Skopje back in time. Just as our clothes often reflect our personalities, so are cars.

Many owners of old school cars appreciate the spirit of the times. The climate is also complemented by doubledecker red buses, of which there are fewer and fewer. All this makes Macedonia an ideal place for people who want to feel the atmosphere of the 90s, not only through cars but also through post- communist, modernist, and brutalist buildings. Fun fact: Yugo is a Serbian brand of passenger cars produced at the Kragujevac plant in former Yugoslavia since 1984. This factory was established in 1953.

Previously it was used to manufacture military equipment. From 1954, the factory produced cars under the license of Fiat - Zastava. The most popular models of the Zastava were the 1100, which were also assembled at the FSO factory in Żerań. In return, Yugoslavia received a Fiat 125p, which was called Zastaa 125pz. In 1980, based on Fiat 127, Zastava Yugo, also known as Yugo Koral, was created.

Kacper Król

Source: Auto Swiat: Yugo