The Yugo Party – Click above for high-res image gallery

PRESS RELEASE:

There were Yugos of all colors, with engines from the standard, 903cc 4-cylinder through to 2-liter Lancia swaps. They came from as far away as Niš, in Serbia's deep south, and from Croatia. There were fićas, Zastava's first car, dating back to 1955. There were Zastava 101 and 128 models, which brought front-wheel drive to Yugoslavia's roads back in 1971. And there were more modern Zastava cars, including the Florida, which, with its 100-horsepower Peugeot engine, was through the end of production in 2008 the fastest sub-$8,000 car in the world.

Parked beside the Dunav river, drivers sat around a barbecue, swapping parts and stories.

"The attendance at this event is testament to the enduring story of the world's most famous postwar budget car," said Ognjen Radić, who organized the meet.

"The Yugo is no longer built, but the Zastava story – the story of 55 years of affordable motoring - lives on," he added.

Volunteers from the Zastava Fan Club (http://www.zfc.rs) organized parking and music, and provided refreshments.

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For more than fifty-five years, since 1953, the Zastava marque has been known for affordable, durable vehicles. Zastava specializes in cars priced under 10,000 euros, cars which promise easy and unbeatable value. Zastava Automobili (http://www.zastavanacionale.com) has entered into a joint-venture agreement with Fiat S.p.A. of Italy. The agreement will see the production of a new A-segment model in Zastava's hometown of Kragujevac, Serbia, by 2010.


For more on Zastava history, in English, please see

http://www.zastavanacionale.com/Default.aspx?lng=en-us&mode=heritage

The Zastava Fan Club counts 1,750 members from across the ex-Yugoslav republics and from around the world. Membership is free, at http://www.zfc.rs.