Tom Hanks is a much-loved actor across the globe. But it appears he's especially celebrated in Poland. So much so, that the residents of Bielsko-Biała, Poland, gifted him a car.
It was a 1974 Fiat 126p, and it was gifted to Hanks for his birthday in 2017. But now, that exact vehicle has been sold for $83,500 USD through Bring a Trailer.
The sale profits went towards the Elizabeth Dole Foundation's Hidden Heroes Campaign, a campaign chaired by Hanks that takes “a comprehensive approach in its advocacy, working with leaders in the public, private, nonprofit, and faith communities to recognize military caregivers’ service and promote their well-being.”
The car is finished in white over a custom green interior and features chrome bumpers, rear fender vents, rectangular headlights and taillights, 12″ steel wheels, aluminium and wood interior trim, and typewriter-key switchgear.
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Making the car all the more unique is special “Bielsko-Biała for Tom Hanks” and “One of One” badging.
The car is small, and certainly not powerful. It produced 17kW and 39nm of torque when it was new. Power is delivered to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual gearbox. The transmission fluid was refreshed and a drain-plug sealer was installed in preparation for the sale.
While it seems as though the only special thing about the vehicle is the badging and the fact that Tom Hanks owns it, there is a story behind it that makes the people of Bielsko-Biała proud.
I'm so excited about my new car!! Hanx. pic.twitter.com/rNelj4qj9v
— Tom Hanks (@tomhanks) November 2, 2016
In 2016, Hanks was on a two week trip to Budapest, Hungary, and documented the trip by posting pictures of himself next to random street-parked Fiat 126s with captions like "I'm so excited about my new car!"
It was a running joke that the people of Bielsko-Biała jumped on board with. When the 126 was built, Poland was under communist rule. So, a version called the Polski Fiat 126p was manufactured under license from Fiat in Bielsko-Biala. The car became a massive point of pride for the community.
So when Bielsko-Biała resident, Monika Jaskolska, saw Hanks making jokes on Twitter, she rounded up some people to help fund a vehicle to gift to Hanks on his birthday.
Hanks was ecstatic about the gift. "It's a beautiful car," Hanks said, according to Dziennik Zachodni. "I do not know how many miles it will take on the California roads, but I'm comforted to be able to fix it with a screwdriver and a ladies' trouser belt."
