Zagreb Couple Proud of Official Vehicle from Sarajevo Winter Olympics: "Bought Out of Love!"

(Patria) - A 1983 Mitsubishi L 300 mini-van was the official vehicle of the Winter Olympic Games held in Sarajevo a year later, and with its design and characteristics, it represented the cutting edge of the automotive industry worldwide at the time.

The proud owners of one of the few remaining examples from that era are Berislav Topol and Marta Šerić from Zagreb, a couple in love who have owned and jealously guarded this beauty for years, report Nezavisne novine.

"From what we were able to find out, the Japanese company 'Mitsubishi' was one of the sponsors of the Olympic Games in Sarajevo, and they sent several units of this vehicle as a donation. Their purpose at the time was to transport the teams working on maintaining the Olympic venues, and during the games, it transported athletes from one Olympic venue to another," says Topol.

He adds that it is interesting that some of the official vehicles from Sarajevo ended up at the Universiade three years later, which was held in Zagreb in 1987, where 'Mitsubishi' was also one of the official sponsors.

"After that, the vehicle remained in Zagreb, it was somehow handed over to the police, who used it for a while, and then a gentleman bought it, whom we literally intercepted on the road, and the rest is history," says Topol with a laugh.

He jokingly says that his girlfriend, who was born in Sarajevo, persuaded him to buy the mini-van, and he couldn't refuse her.

"As soon as she heard it was from Sarajevo, she immediately said you have to buy it. What else could I do?" says the likeable man from Zagreb.

According to him, restoring the vehicle was not an easy task at all, as it is very difficult to obtain original parts.

"We had to improvise in some things and figure things out as best we could. We made an effort to restore the vehicle's image from the Sarajevo Olympic Games, we obtained official stickers and markings and decorated it with them," says Topol. His girlfriend adds that they wanted to get a small van that would serve as a camper capable of driving on less accessible roads.

"We persuaded the owner to sell it to us, we invested a lot in the restoration, we adapted the interior to our needs, invested a lot in the mechanics, and I can say that it serves us quite well. Like all other 'Japans', it is reliable and doesn't break down often, and it's not a big gas guzzler either," says Marta.

She adds that in the end, they got a good and reliable camper, but at the same time, a classic car with which they often travel to gatherings of old car owners throughout the region and proudly show it off, and that was the case in Sanski Most, where such an event was recently held.

According to official data, the company 'Mitsubishi' donated 85 such vehicles for the needs of the aforementioned sports events in the former Yugoslavia, and today only a few are in working condition.