Launched in1958 the Trabant has been credited by historians as a key leading to the downfall of communism. Produced by the East German automaker VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau, it was created by the regime and following the footsteps of predecessors Henry Ford, Austin and Ferdinand Porsche, as an inexpensive car for the people, but its poor performance, dirty engine, odd interior and the extremely long time it took to get one, often years not months, only showed how centralized planning didn't work. Despite all this, it had a 30-year production run with more than 3 million made.
Medieval German translates “Trabant” as a foot soldier or personal guard, in Latin it means "traveller", the name was inspired by the Soviet Sputnik and are often referred to as the Trabbi or Trabi. It was the most common vehicle in East Germany, and was also exported to countries both inside and outside the communist bloc.
The main selling point was that it had room for four adults and luggage in a compact, light and durable shell. Despite its mediocre performance and smoky two-stroke engine, the car is regarded with derisive affection as a symbol of the failed former East Germany and the fall of communism. For advocates of capitalism it is often cited as an example of the disadvantages of centralized planning as even refuelling the car required lifting the bonnet, filling the tank with gasoline (only 6.5 gallons), then adding twostroke oil and shaking it back and forth to mix. It was in production without any significant changes for nearly 30 years with 3,096,099 Trabants produced in total.
Since it could take years for a Trabant to be delivered from the time it was ordered, people who finally got one were very careful with it and usually became skilful in maintaining and repairing it.
The lifespan of an average Trabant was 28 years. Used Trabants would often fetch a higher price than new ones, as the former were available immediately, while the latter had the aforementioned waiting period, the longest wait recorded being ten years.
There were two principal variants of the Trabant, the Trabant 500, also known as the Trabant P 50, produced 1957-1963, and the Trabant 601 or Trabant P 60 series, produced from 1963 to 1991, which had a 1.1L VW engine introduced in 1990. The engine for both the Trabant 500 and original 601 was a small two-stroke engine with two cylinders, giving the vehicle to say the least, a modest performance. At the end of production in 1989 it delivered 26 horsepower from a 600 cc displacement. The car took 21 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) and the top speed was 112 km/h (70 mph). There were two main problems with the engine: the smoky exhaust and the pollution it produced. Nine times the amount of hydrocarbons and five times the carbon monoxide emissions of the average European car of 2007. The fuel consumption was 7L/100 km (40 mpg)
In August 2009 it was announced that a new Trabant powered by an electric engine will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show with production starting if investment can be secured. The Trabant’s designer Gustav Trabant is survived by his wife, Greta, and his son and daughter, Robert and Mildred Trabant. The Trabants eventually left Germany and relocated in the United States.

African violet (Saintpaulia) is one of those rare house plants that will flower continuously all year long, even through the dark winter months, and add colour and cheer to any area you put them.
In fact, African violets are one of the easiest indoor plants to grow once you are aware of a couple of their very simple requirements.
They naturally like filtered light and temperatures that most houses have on a year-round basis, and provided you know a few key other things there is no reason you cannot have a house full of colourful, velvety, African violets for years to come.
So if you have ever struggled with African violets, follow these 6 key tips, and you will be amazed how well they will respond.
6 Key Tips:
1. Give them the temperatures they like which are:
18° to 24° C (65° to 75° F) daytime temperatures, 15° to 18° C (60° to 65° F) nighttime temperatures.
Any hotter or colder and they will not do well. Avoid temperature fluctuations, including sudden drafts.
2. Give them good indirect or filtered light.
Always avoid any hot or direct sunlight.
It will scorch the plants and cause leaf blemishes and burns. Think about their natural habitat which is under forest canopies. So the better the sunlight you give your violet without it being direct, hot sun, the more often it will flower for you.
During the winter months, when the sunlight is weaker, your plants may benefit from the light of a southern exposure. And remember, African violets also do well with artificial light, such as in an office - they are quite flexible plants.
3. Water from underneath.
The fastest way to kill African violets is to overwater them! African violets need to stay evenly moist at all times so the best way to water them is from underneath using room temperature water. Use a container that has a saucer. When you feel the soil and it is starting to dry out, simply fill the saucer underneath a few times.
When the plant has had enough, it will stop soaking up the water in the saucer.
Make sure to empty any unused water! Do not let your plant sit in a saucer full of water; it will drown. Also, do NOT mist the foliage. Water spots on the foliage may cause permanent leaf spotting.
4. If you use African violet pots.
African violet pots are special pots that come in two separate pieces. If you want to use African violet pots, then plant your violet directly into the top portion of the pot.
The trick here is even though the instructions for these pots tell you to fill the lower portion and leave the water there, DON'T do it! When your violet is dry, just pour water into the lower pot, put the top pot in for about an hour or until the plant is nicely moist, then pour out any unused water. Leave the lower pot dry until it is time to water again.
5. African violets like fertilizer.
African violets will flower more often if you feed them regularly. A balanced, liquid fertilizer (i.e. 10-10-10) works fine.
After you have mixed the fertilizer with water, let the container stand overnight to let the chlorine in the water evaporate, and to bring the water to room temperature. This is important because African violets do not like cold water or chlorine.
6. Repot your African violets every six months to one year.
The soil you use must have excellent drainage. This is critical. You can mix your own soil using 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 vermiculite and 1/3 perlite. Secondly, use the right sized pot because all Saintpaulia must be potbound to flower.
An African violet's root system is only about 1/3 of the diameter of the plant so choose a pot that is 1/3 the diameter of the plant.
Choosing the proper sized container helps prevent root rot because if you use too large and deep a pot, it will lead to excess moisture in the soil and the roots will die.
Note: If one of your African violets has developed a neck, which is that bare place where the leaves have been taken off, make sure to repot your plant as soon as possible, and make sure the neck is covered with soil when it has been replanted. It will then grow new roots along the newly buried neck area.
One last note - African violet plants are pet friendly and they are not toxic to animals, so you can have as many as you want throughout your home. African violets are very satisfying to have around because they have such a lush appearance with their velvety leaves and glittering flowers, so if you have a record of killing houseplants, give it one more try with an African violet!