While German vehicles have a reputation for over-engineering, reliability and prestige, cars manufactured in the former East Germany are a different story. First produced by VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau in 1957, the Trabant was known for an infamously long wait times to purchase one. Some customers would wait up to 15 years to collect their new car from the time of order, which helped drive used Trabant prices up. Made out of a plastic resin called Duroplast, the Trabant had other unique features such as a gas tank mounted up high in the engine to feed fuel to the carburetor, as the vehicle did not have a fuel pump.
Here is an example of the infamous Communist runabout from the heyday of its production run:
1979 Trabant P601 LX on eBay
The seller states:
1979 Trabant P601LX. Clear NC Title. Comes with original German Fahrzeugbrief (German registration). I bought and shipped this Trabant from Germany in Dec.05. Motor starts and runs great! 6V, standard/dual point ignition. Original factory paint job; white car/green top. There are minor nicks here and there, but not worth mentioning…paint is still near 100%. Motor is super clean…starts every time and keeps running. Interior is also in great shape and very clean. Drivers seat has some minor wear (see pic). There is minor wear from a tire that sat for a while in the back seat (see pic). Drivers side mirror needs to be replaced….glass is not broken, but reflective material inside the mirror has broken up in some areas (you can find a fairly cheap replacement on German eBay). The mileage indicator has obviously turned many times since 1979…it is now at approx 2300 kilometers.
Bidding is at $4,900 with two days left in the auction and no bids. If you want a piece of East German nostalgia that you can drive, bid now, as these don’t come up for sale here stateside too often.
-Paul
