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.