Welcome to a small world built around the Trabant, the beloved or hated but ubiquitous car built in East Germany from 1957 until just after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Known to friend and foe alike as Trabi, it was built largely unchanged through those years.
That’s nearly twice as long as the Model T Ford was in production. And, arguably, way longer than the VW Beetle, because while the Beetle’s shape stayed the same, its engine, transmission and other mechanicals constantly changed, while the only real change for Trabi was in how long buyers had to wait to get one… as long as ten years.
So, this is a piece about a car that mostly won’t be spotted on the road, because despite nearly 4 million being built over 35 years, few are left. And of those, only those certified in good enough condition to be registered as historic vehicles are allowed on Germany’s roads. Its two-stroke engine required a mixture of gasoline and oil, and was a major contributor to air pollution.
Not a joke; battery company E-Force One has converted a few for publicity
By reputation, it was shoddily built, loud and slow. Some called it “the little car that couldn’t.” And yet, it was an innovative car at the beginning. Steel was in short supply, so the steel frame was clad in body panels made of duroplast, a hard plastic, similar to fiberglass, made from recycled cotton waste from the Soviet Union and phenol resin byproducts from East Germany’s dye industry.
It was the first mass production car with a body made of recycled material and predated all the fancy fiberglass bodies of later years. That also gave it a light weight, which was good because it never was anything but underpowered. Despite all its other issues, Trabis had an average lifespan of 28 years.
Plenty of mini-Trabis to take home from the gift shop… and even some VWs
Another innovative choice, but arguably a less successful one: No fuel pump. The gas tank was attached to the underside of the hood and fed the carburetor by gravity. Naturally, there was also no fuel gauge.
If it sounds at all like I have a fairly strong affection for the Trabi, well, I do.
A Trabi turned into a truck, and a few turned into a picnic area…
There are about a thousand still on the road, and about a hundred of them are parked at Trabi World, where fans such as I could walk around and admire the colors the factory never painted them and the modest model differences (a little different tail light, a slightly bigger window, and by the end even a fuel gauge.
The simulator is for those who are new to Trabis and/or to stick shift and planning to head out on a Trabi Safari
But they’re not limited to spectators. By arrangement, visitors can sign up for a Trabi Safari, pick their favorite, and actually drive it around Berlin in a caravan, following a licensed guide in the first car, broadcasting tour information over a radio link. I wish now I’d done, it but I didn’t. Maybe next time.
Trabi World is located on an open plaza in the middle of Berlin, right where the Wall once ran along Zimmerstrasse. Its next-door neighbors include the high-flying Berlin Balloon and an assortment of stands selling ‘Ostalgia’—nostalgia for the old East Germany.
Congratulations to George G who recognized onenof the aerial photos as our One-Clue Mystery!
Interesting piece – I learnt a few things about the Trabi that I did not know before! Thanks.