Not planes, but something different from the norm

[upnorth]

So I was in the centre of town today and heard a bunch of horns honking and turned to see this:



Not sure what the deal was, but lots of Trabants and old Skodas getting taken for a spin. Quite the odour was left behind when the light went green and they all started rolling again.

[B777LR]

Nostalgic. How appropriate considering it's about 20 years ago now.

[upnorth]

Nostalgic. How appropriate considering it's about 20 years ago now.

Actually, I'm pretty sure the 20th anniversary of the fall of communism has a lot to do with it. Mind you there are clubs for owners of Trabants and old Skodas around the country. So, in and of themselves, the cars have a certain cult status.

[Jschmus]

I remember reading a story in Automobile a month or so after the Wall came down.  The writer spoke of seeing Trabants in dumpsters, tossed away by East Germans who no longer had to drive such crappy machines.

[B777LR]

I remember reading a story in Automobile a month or so after the Wall came down.  The writer spoke of seeing Trabants in dumpsters, tossed away by East Germans who no longer had to drive such crappy machines.

Nowadays they are worth the same as a new Mercedes E-class...

[philp]

I think I need to get one of the new Revell kits even though I hardly ever build cars.

[upnorth]

I think I need to get one of the new Revell kits even though I hardly ever build cars.

Revell are making a Trabant kit?!


A former student of mine told me about his first car, a Trabant, and how it broke in half on the road while he was driving and his mother in law was in the passenger seat. She apparently has never let him forget it.

To find Trabants in dumpsters would be no surprise. Completely disposable plastic cars they were. Their body panels were made of a material similar to bakelite from what I understand.

[philp]

[B777LR]

To find Trabants in dumpsters would be no surprise. Completely disposable plastic cars they were. Their body panels were made of a material similar to bakelite from what I understand.

A cotton-cardboard composite of some sort. Not a probem when you build it on a chassis, unlike modern cars, and it isn't made for high speeds.

[Captain Canada]

Cool !

[Aircav]

To find Trabants in dumpsters would be no surprise. Completely disposable plastic cars they were. Their body panels were made of a material similar to bakelite from what I understand.

A cotton-cardboard composite of some sort. Not a probem when you build it on a chassis, unlike modern cars, and it isn't made for high speeds.

Well she did only have a two cylinder 600cc air cooled two-stroke engine producing 23 hp 

[Stargazer]

Here's a Trabant 601 spotted in Honfleur (Normandy) some months ago and used as an advertisement for a local pub. Looks nice, eh?

[Martin H]

Theres normaly one sitting outside TSRjoes place in Glasgow (no it isnt his!).

[Green Dragon]

Saw an article a few days back saying the only cars stolen more in Germany than Trabants are Porsche's. 

Paul Harrison