| Trabant | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | VEB Sachsenring |
| Production |
|
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style |
|
| Layout | Transverse front-engine, front-wheel-drive |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine |
|
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,020 mm (79.5 in)[1] |
| Length | 3,360 mm (132.3 in)[1] |
| Width | 1,500 mm (59.06 in)[2] |
Trabant (German: [tʁaˈbant] ) is a series of small cars produced from 1957 until 1991 by former East German car manufacturer VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau. Four models were made: the Trabant 500, Trabant 600, Trabant 601, and the Trabant 1.1. The first model, the 500, was a relatively modern car when it was introduced.
It featured detachable duroplast body panels on a galvanised steel unibody chassis, front-wheel drive, a transverse two-stroke engine, and independent suspension. Because this 1950s design remained largely unchanged until the introduction of the last model, the Trabant 1.1 in 1990, the Trabant became symbolic of the former East Germany's stagnant economy and the collapse of the Eastern Bloc in general.[3] Called "a spark plug with a roof", 3,096,999 Trabants were produced.[4] Older models have been sought by collectors in the United States due to their low cost and fewer restrictions on the importation of antique cars. The Trabant also gained a following among car tuning and rallying enthusiasts.
- ^ a b Legends of the Open Road. Rizzoli International Publications. 2007. ISBN 978-88-6130-066-8.
- ^ World Cars 1978. Herald Books. 1978. ISBN 0-910714-10-X.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Williams, Adam (6 September 2007). "Boxy East German icon plans comeback". Reuters. Retrieved 13 May 2020.