BIELSKO BIALA (Poland), Dec 2 — US Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks took his new Fiat 126p car for a first spin on Thursday, after receiving the classic vehicle as a present from his Polish fans.

Residents of a city in southern Poland bought an iconic communist era "toddler” car after he shared a photograph of himself with the automobile on social media last year.

It all started with a picture of Tom Hanks with a smile on his face leaning on the tiny Fiat 126p car, known as the "toddler” in Poland.

The film star captioned the post on Twitter: "I got a new car! Hanx”.

He recreated that moment upon checking out the car and receiving it on Thursday, clearly delighted at the bright and shiny newly renovated vehicle.

While it seemed a joke, Monika Jaskolska, a resident of the city of Bielsko Biala, where the car was produced from the 1970s, decided to organise fundraising to send Hanks one of the cars.

Polish racing driver Rafal Sonik then offered to renovate the car for Hanks. Fiat 126p cars are rarely seen on Polish roads nowadays.

Despite its name, some people say it is possible to fit up to 14 people inside the vehicle. — Reuters