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The DDR Kommie Kar was a real doozie, with its bakelite or melmac ersatz body panels (sorta the same stuff they used to make kitchen radios with) and a two-stroker engine that left a WWII destroyer smokescreen when you get the mix wrong or it wears out (never).

They don't rust much, so the Trabbie will be with us for a while, but the plastic body can kinda brittle out after 20 years or so. They do get fabulous gas mileage on old outboard fuel. Top speed was a neck-snapping 60-65. However, if you are an insane speed demon, the good news is that as soon as the DDR died, every Euroweenie/Jap autoco started making nifty replacement engines so it could meet eurostandards (same as CA). Last time I was in olde Deutschland, people were actually giving them away and leaving them behind dumpsters. But now, they are a Kult Kar.

Call these guys if you want one for your collection. Park it next to the Amphicar.

http://trabant.shocauto.com/trabant_specs.htm