Towarzystwo Budowy Samochodów AS
A Polish automobile and mechanical-parts manufacturer that operated in Warsaw from 1924 until 1939.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Towarzystwo Budowy Samochodów AS, literally the AS Car Manufacturing Company, was a Polish automobile and mechanical-parts manufacturer active during the Second Polish Republic. Founded in Warsaw in 1924 by businessman Jan Łaski and engineer Czesław Zbierański, the company developed and produced the AS, one of the relatively few passenger-car designs associated with Poland's interwar automotive industry. Zbierański had connections to Warszawskie Autowarsztaty, or Warsaw Car Repair Shops, whose assembly facilities at 64 Złota Street were used in the vehicle's development and production. The company's headquarters were located at 16 Srebrna Street in Warsaw. The AS project combined locally produced vehicle structures with imported French mechanical components. Zbierański served as production manager, while engineer Aleksander Liberman designed the chassis. The first prototypes were completed on 4 January 1927, and the definitive chassis was produced on 27 March 1927 at Fabryka Powozów Braci Węgrzeckich in Szydłowiec. After road testing, the vehicle was approved for sale. It was offered in several body styles, including a taxi landaulet, convertible, limousine, and panel van. Customers could also purchase the chassis separately, providing an option for locally completed or specially bodied vehicles. Two principal mechanical versions were produced. The S1 used a Chapuis-Dornier engine, while the S2 used a CIME engine; early examples also employed Ruby engines. These engines and the gearbox were imported from France, while the remaining vehicle components were manufactured in Poland. The taxi landaulet was the most successful version, with approximately 100 produced. The other body styles were made in substantially smaller quantities, and total AS production is generally estimated at about 150 vehicles across three series. The car attracted attention for its quiet operation, low resistance, and precise door-closing mechanism. The company received a silver medal for its AS automobiles at the 1929 Polish General Exhibition in Poznań. That same year, Aleksander Liberman acquired shares from Jan Łaski and became the company's owner. Production ended around 1930, as the Great Depression made continued automobile manufacturing difficult. In 1932, a fire destroyed much of the machinery required for the assembly line, further limiting the company's ability to build complete vehicles. During the second half of the 1930s, Czesław Zbierański moved surviving machinery and vehicle parts to a factory in Miedzeszyn. Towarzystwo Budowy Samochodów AS then concentrated on manufacturing components and replacement parts for AS vehicles and other automobiles, as well as parts for aircraft. It also produced bevel gears and spur gears, reflecting a broader transition from complete-car manufacture to mechanical subcontracting and industrial parts production. The company ceased to exist in 1939 following the German invasion of Poland and the destruction of the prewar Polish state economy. Its legacy rests chiefly on the AS automobile and its place in the early history of Polish vehicle manufacturing.
History
Towarzystwo Budowy Samochodów AS was established in Warsaw in 1924 by Jan Łaski and Czesław Zbierański. Łaski was a Warsaw businessman, while Zbierański was an engineer associated with Warszawskie Autowarsztaty, a group of automotive assembly and repair facilities located at 64 Złota Street. The company maintained its headquarters at 16 Srebrna Street. Its principal ambition was to create a Polish automobile using domestic production capabilities while relying on selected imported mechanical components. Zbierański became responsible for production, and engineer Aleksander Liberman designed the chassis. The first AS prototypes were completed on 4 January 1927. The final chassis was manufactured on 27 March 1927 at Fabryka Powozów Braci Węgrzeckich in Szydłowiec. Following several months of road testing, the vehicle was approved for commercial sale. The AS was offered as a taxi landaulet, convertible, limousine, and panel van. Customers could also order a bare chassis, allowing the vehicle to be completed according to particular bodywork requirements. The automobile was produced in S1 and S2 versions. S1 cars used Chapuis-Dornier engines, while S2 cars used CIME engines. Some early examples were fitted with Ruby engines. These engines and the gearbox came from France, whereas the rest of the vehicle was manufactured in Poland. The taxi landaulet became the most common version, with approximately 100 units produced. The remaining body styles were built in much smaller quantities, and overall production reached roughly 150 vehicles. The cars were made in three series: the first two comprised approximately 60 and 80 vehicles respectively, while the planned third series of 100 was only partially completed. The AS gained public recognition at the 1929 Polish General Exhibition in Poznań, where it received a silver medal. Exhibition observers reportedly valued the car's quiet running, low resistance, and carefully engineered door-closing system. In the same year, Liberman purchased shares from Łaski and became the company's owner. The commercial environment soon deteriorated, however, and the Great Depression brought complete automobile production to an end around 1930. A major setback followed in 1932, when a fire destroyed most of the machinery needed for the assembly line. During the latter half of the decade, Zbierański relocated the remaining machinery and components to a factory in Miedzeszyn. The company's activities shifted toward component manufacturing rather than complete automobiles. It produced replacement parts for AS cars and other vehicles, supplied parts for aircraft, and manufactured bevel and spur gears. The company survived in this reduced industrial role until 1939. The German invasion of Poland and the resulting destruction of the country's prewar political and economic order brought its existence to an end. Towarzystwo Budowy Samochodów AS is therefore remembered both as a short-lived vehicle producer and as an early example of Poland's attempt to establish an indigenous automobile industry.
- 1939
Operations end
[1]The company ceased to exist following the German invasion of Poland.
- 1932
Assembly-line machinery destroyed by fire
[1]A fire destroyed most of the machinery required for automobile assembly.
- 1930
Complete automobile production discontinued
[1]The company stopped manufacturing complete AS automobiles during the Great Depression.
- 1929
Silver medal at the Polish General Exhibition
[1]The AS automobile received a silver medal at the Polish General Exhibition in Poznań.
- 1929
Liberman takes ownership
[1]Aleksander Liberman acquired shares from Jan Łaski and became the company's owner.
- 1927
AS prototypes and final chassis completed
[1]The first prototypes were completed in January, and the final version of the chassis was produced in March at Szydłowiec.
- 1924
Company founded in Warsaw
[1]Jan Łaski and Czesław Zbierański founded Towarzystwo Budowy Samochodów AS to develop and manufacture automobiles in Poland.
Products and positioning
A pioneering interwar Polish automobile manufacturer combining locally produced bodies and components with imported French engines and transmissions.
Automobile · 1927
AS S1
The AS S1 was one of the two principal production versions of the company's interwar automobile. It used a Chapuis-Dornier engine imported from France, together with an imported gearbox and Polish-made structural and body components. The model was available within the broader AS range of taxi, passenger, and utility body styles.
Automobile · 1927
AS S2
The AS S2 was the second main mechanical version of the AS automobile. It was equipped with a CIME engine sourced from France, while most non-engine components were manufactured in Poland. Like the S1, it could be supplied in several body configurations, including passenger and commercial forms.
Taxi automobile · 1927
AS taxi landaulet
The taxi landaulet was the most successful AS body style and accounted for approximately 100 vehicles. Its popularity reflected the company's effort to serve practical commercial transport needs as well as private customers. It formed the largest identifiable portion of total AS production.
Passenger automobile · 1927
AS convertible
The convertible was one of the passenger-car body styles offered on the AS chassis. It was produced in a much smaller quantity than the taxi landaulet and formed part of the company's limited range of locally assembled interwar vehicles.
Passenger automobile · 1927
AS limousine
The limousine was the enclosed passenger version of the AS automobile. It used the same general vehicle platform and imported French mechanical equipment as other AS variants, with bodywork produced in Poland.
Commercial vehicle · 1927
AS panel van
The panel van extended the AS platform into light commercial use. It was one of four principal body styles offered by the company, alongside the taxi landaulet, convertible, and limousine.
Vehicle chassis · 1927
AS chassis
Customers could purchase the AS chassis without a completed body. This offering reduced the purchase price and allowed alternative bodywork or specialized vehicle completion. The chassis was designed by Aleksander Liberman and manufactured with a mixture of Polish-produced parts and imported French drivetrain components.
Mechanical parts
Automotive and aircraft components
After complete-car production ended, the company manufactured replacement parts for AS vehicles and other automobiles, along with components for aircraft. It also produced bevel gears and spur gears, making mechanical-parts production its principal late-period activity.
Brand decisions
1932
Shift toward component manufacturingStrategyBackground
A fire destroyed most of the machinery used for the automobile assembly line.
Action taken
After remaining equipment and parts were moved to Miedzeszyn, the company concentrated on mechanical components and replacement parts rather than complete vehicles.
Aftermath
The company continued in a reduced industrial role until it ceased to exist in 1939.
1930
End of complete-vehicle manufacturingStrategyBackground
The Great Depression undermined the viability of the company's small-scale automobile production.
Action taken
Towarzystwo Budowy Samochodów AS stopped manufacturing complete automobiles.
Aftermath
The business later focused on replacement parts, vehicle components, aircraft parts, and gear production.
1927
Launch of the AS automobileProduct launchBackground
After prototype construction and road testing, the company received approval to sell the AS automobile in several passenger, taxi, and commercial body styles.
Action taken
The company began producing AS vehicles in S1 and S2 versions and also offered the chassis separately.
Aftermath
Approximately 150 AS vehicles were produced across three series before complete-car manufacturing ended around 1930.
Recent events
- 1939
Company ceases to exist after the invasion of Poland[1]
Other
The company ceased operations following the German invasion of Poland and the collapse of the Second Polish Republic.
- 1932
Fire damages assembly machinery[1]
Other
A fire destroyed much of the machinery used for automobile assembly, restricting the company's ability to manufacture complete vehicles.
- 1930
Automobile production ends[1]
Bankruptcy
Complete-car production stopped amid the economic pressures of the Great Depression.
- 1929
AS receives a silver medal at the Polish General Exhibition[1]
Other
The company's AS automobiles received a silver medal at the Polish General Exhibition in Poznań, where the vehicles attracted attention for their quiet operation and precise door mechanisms.
- 1929
Aleksander Liberman becomes owner[1]
Leadership change
Aleksander Liberman acquired shares from Jan Łaski and became the owner of the company.
- 1927
AS prototypes completed[1]
Product launch
The first prototypes of the AS automobile were completed in January, followed by production of the final chassis design in March.
Sources1 sources
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