Boxy East German icon plans comeback (Bringing back the Trabant)

Reuters ^ | 9/6/07 | Adam Williams

[jalisco555]

BERLIN (Reuters) - Nearly two decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall a German company plans to give the Trabant, a stinky two-cylinder car that became the symbol of communist East Germany, a new lease of life.

The new Trabants will no longer have tiny engines, noxious fumes and plastic bodies but will retain the iconic design of the original -- like Volkswagen's new Beetle or the new Mini.

The Trabant was the most common vehicle in the former East Germany and was produced without major changes for nearly 30 years. Known in the West as a "spark plug with a roof" because of its small size, East Germans queued for years to buy one.

Despite its cramped interior and weak engine, the boxy car came to be regarded with affection and now has cult status.

Herpa, a well-known Bavarian manufacturer of miniature vehicles, wants to capitalize on nostalgia for the "Trabi" and bought the rights to the name with a view to creating a full-sized revamped version of the car.

"There's been a new Beetle, a new Mini, it's time for a new Trabi," press spokesman Daniel Stiegler told Reuters. "The reception to our idea has been fantastic."

The company will present a 1:10 scale model of its concept at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt next week. The initial design has the two-door, four-seater car painted in the once omnipresent sky-blue color.

Production will be negotiated based on the reaction at the show. "A limited run of 5,000 is the mostly likely option," said Stiegler. "We are in talks with several manufacturers".

Herpa is considering a model equipped with a BMW engine, which would retail at around 50,000 euros ($68,320). Restored vintage models in good condition by contrast sell for around 10,000 euros, based on offers on Internet auction sites.

When it was first designed in the late 1950s the original Trabant was only expected to stay in production until 1967. But new designs later proposed to replace it were rejected by the East German leadership on grounds of cost.

The car became a cult symbol after images of East Germans crossing the border in their Trabis were beamed to millions across the world in November 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell.

[jalisco555]

Ostalgia strikes again! What's next, the return of the Stasi?

[Rummyfan]

The Trabant was the most common vehicle in the former East Germany and was produced without major changes for nearly 30 years.

Reuters.... At least they didn't describe it as best-selling! It was virtually the only car available for East Germans to buy, and you had to wait years for it at that!

[Armedanddangerous]

Didnt those cars have wooden frames too?

[Toddsterpatriot]

The new Trabants will no longer have tiny engines, noxious fumes and plastic bodies but will retain the iconic design of the original

Does it come in a hybrid?

[jalisco555]

Well, in it’s favor you probably didn’t have any problem finding parts since they never changed the design. And you didn’t have to worry about the AC or electric window openers failing (since they didn’t have any)

[SJSAMPLE]

The car became a cult symbol after images of East Germans crossing the border in their Trabis were beamed to millions across the world in November 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell.

I was there. Crappy little cardboard cars with smoky 2-cylinder engines dodging into the passing lane on the Autobahn with no notice. A BMW 7-series would come up and cut the little car (and it's five occupants) in two and scatter them about the roadway. The BMW would suffer fascia damage and pull over a mile down the road. Germany banned them from the road 1 year after importation. Deathtraps.

[Red Badger]

The eco-version.............

[goldstategop]

Reminds me of German watches with Russian movements still produced by Garde Ruhla. There's still the workhouse 3133 chronograph and Molnija 6303. Also used by Aristo in its Apucto line.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[mewzilla]

Great googly moogly. There's a Trabant dealer in the US...

SHOC Auto, Inc. Trabants and specialty car sales

[PAR35]

Sounds like time for my proposed theme park - Eight Flags over Germany. Roman Empire, Barbarians, Feudal Period, Holy Roman Empire, Empire, 3rd Reich, Communism, and EuroLand.

[dighton]

Herpa is considering a model equipped with a BMW engine, which would retail at around 50,000 euros ($68,320).

The very thing to impress your fellow workers and peasants.

[LIConFem]

Isn't it a bit dangerous sittin' so close to that thing's tailpipe?

;o)

[Eric in the Ozarks]

English manufacturer Morgan made their sports cars on wood frames.

[L,TOWM]

A real interesting phenomenon with the waiting time for a new Trabi...

A used Trabi that you could buy now was a lot more expensive (in terms of the GDR monopoly money Mark) than a new Trabi you would wait for years to buy.

I found that to be an interesting real life example of the Law of Unintended Consequences and what a “planned economy” actually looks like.

[Liberty Valance]

[dfwgator]

Old East German Trabant ad:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MQwj0EqOQJw

[basil]

I happened to be in "East" Germany very shortly after the fall of the wall. These cars were very curious---sounded more like a lawn mower than a car, smelled very bad---and a whole bunch of them had come off the assembly line with a defect: These cars could not make a right turn!

Oh the irony--LOL!

[Red Badger]

Well, they’ll haveta put on modern pollution controls!............

[reagan_fanatic]

"Is good very car, da?"

[Red Badger]

Or your fellow gangsta Rappers..............

[jalisco555]

East German version of a hybrid.

[Rummyfan]

Now a Skoda - that was a car!

[Red Badger]

LOL!......Is that a mule or a horse?...........

[wjcsux]

Just the car to impress your Communist friends with.

[Rummyfan]

Living in Germany in the 80s I and most of my colleagues opted for Beemers or Audis, and one or two went with Mercedes’ or Porsche. One of my more frugal workmates purchased a Citroen 2CV. It was dangerous to drive on the autobahn in that thing!

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Notice he’s wearing rubber boots. Do the floors leak ?

[troy McClure]

I owned a Trabbi for a couple of years.
I was brought here for the movie ‘Driving me Crazy”
I was a very reliable car. I put close to 40.000 miles on it and it never let me down. Not even a flat tire.
I once was driving on Sunset Blvd and a guy in a 250 Gt Ferrari pulled up and gave me the thumbs up.

Here is the movie.

http://wc04.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:14827

[dangus]

While driving, you can use your elbow as a rear-window defroster.

The actual rear-window defroster helps keep your hands warm while traveling uphill.

[dangus]

>> Herpa is considering a model equipped with a BMW engine, which would retail at around 50,000 euros ($68,320). <<

Can you catch Herpas by driving a Volvo?

[SJSAMPLE]

The assistand Corps Commander to V Corps (two star) around 1990 drove a “Duck”. Parked it at the Abrams complex next to other officer’s BMWs and Mercedes.

[stefanbatory]

I saw a few of these when I lived in Poland as an exchange student in the mid-90’s...my one host brother told me that you could buy one for 2 bottles of vodka at that time...:)

the new model is gonna be a bit more expensive, eh?

[FormerLib]

What's next, the return of the Stasi?

Oh, they're still around. I understand they had great employment opportunities as taxi drivers in the former East Germany.

You only had to tell them your name when you got in the cab, they already know where you lived.

[proudpapa]

I’ll never forget being on the road to Berlin in ‘88. The westerners were driving newer VW’s, Audi’s, BMW’s and Mercedes.

The easterners were driving old rusty Trabi’s. I turned to my travelling companion and astutely predicted that the wall would soon come down. It was only a matter of time that those in the east would demand the finer things available in the west.

I was amazed when my prediction came true, less than 6 months later.

[jalisco555]

Can you catch Herpas by driving a Volvo?

Yikes, I hope not. I have one.

[jalisco555]

The new model is gonna be a bit more expensive, eh?

Yeah, but vodka's gotten a lot more expensive since then too.

[tarator]

The new Skodas are pretty decent. They are now basically VW clones.

[gcruse]

” These cars were very curious-—sounded more like a lawn mower than a car,”

Truth be told, so did the Jaguar XKE.

[ops33]

IIRC, the Morgan also had a leather strap across the hood (or bonnet). Haven’t seen one of them in years.

[stefanbatory]

shoot...I was there 3 years ago and you could get a fifth for $2.50...

[jalisco555]

shoot...I was there 3 years ago and you could get a fifth for $2.50...

I'm partial to Hangar One, which costs a whole lot more than $2.50