Sometimes the strangest cars can be the most rewarding to own, especially if one of your biggest kicks is to have someone come up to you at a gas station just to ask you what kind of car it is you are driving. It’s kind of fun, truth be told, to watch people who could tell you all about what went down at the last NASCAR race in pinpoint detail scratch their heads as they try to figure out your set of wheels. I lost track of how many times my Imperial was called a Lincoln by well-meaning folk, and to be fair, that’s a very good educated guess. Now, if you were to drive something as beyond-left-field find in today’s cheap car hunt, we’re pretty sure that guessing wouldn’t be that helpful.
What you are looking at is a 1985 Trabant 601S. In East Germany, before the reunification, this was the most popular car available. Think of it as an alternative universe version of the Volkswagen Beetle…except with a two-stroke engine, front wheel drive and no measurable change or update to note between 1964 and 1990. When the Berlin Wall fell, Trabants were quickly replaced with just about anything else, but today they seem to have a kind of cult following about them. And for a seller in the Nashville area, that was enough to score this wagon. At $4,300 it fits into the Rough Start budget better than just about any other kind of car that will stir up as much confusion.
From the listing: “It has a 2 cylinder 2 stroke engine with a 4 speed on the column. It has been lowered and has a camber kit installed on the rear. The exterior has a patina finish. This car is very fun to drive and gets a lot of attention. I have man extra new parts including brakes, wheel cylinders, brake lines , turn signal lenses and weather stripping. If there is any confusion of this vehicle passing emissions testing the answer is it has antique registration and DOES NOT require emissions.”
Craigslist Link: 1985 Trabant 601S wagon
It was´nt the most popular car…..it was the only car and you had to join an up to fifteen year waiting list to get one.
The population of the DDR were´nt given many choices when it came to your own transport.
The company (read government) went from making people wait to begging them to come get their new car when the wall fell.
Driving in the DDR was pure toxic and these little two stroke monsters were part of the pollution, they turned the air blue.
The body was made of something like compressed fabric, you did´nt get dents you got splinters.
There are vids on YouTube showing the manufacture of the little beasties.
Death traps.
Having said all that I would´ve liked to drop the body of one…carefully….onto a MkI Golf GTI chassis.
At least there would be one hell of a struggle to put a Loathsome Slug under that tiny hood!
A full tube frame with a turbo bike engine and RWD. but keep the paint job, steel wheels and interior for the ultimate mini-sleeper.