Trabant Logo

The Trabant car brand emerged in East Germany in 1957, courtesy of the state-backed VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau. Its foundational design drew inspiration from the Soviet P70 Zaporozhets, characterized by a unique Duroplast plastic body coupled with a two-stroke engine. The inaugural model, the Trabant P50, graced the roads between 1957 and 1963 before getting a rebrand as the Trabant 500.

1963 marked the introduction of the Trabant 600, boasting a beefed-up 600cc engine. Throughout the decades, this model became a cornerstone in East Germany’s automotive landscape. However, the Trabant 601, with over 3 million units produced between 1963 and 1990, truly encapsulated the spirit of East Germany. This model carved its niche for resilience, thanks to its robust plastic body, and became an enduring symbol of its homeland.

Acquiring a Trabant in East Germany wasn’t straightforward. Despite the vehicles being famously modest in performance, the high demand often led to prolonged waiting periods for eager buyers. The socio-political upheavals of 1989, particularly the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent decline of East Germany, cast a shadow on Trabant’s market dominance. A fleeting attempt at revival materialized in the form of the Trabant 1.1, spanning 1989 to 1991, but production soon ceased. Over its lifespan, Trabant saw approximately 3.7 million cars produced, forever etching its name as East Germany’s predominant automobile.