Production remains a possibility
In a September interview to the New York Times, Herpa manager Klaus Schindler said that there were ongoing discussions with a number of automakers.
Moreover, as mentioned in the marketing brochure distributed at the car’s launch, a production Trabant – much like its predecessor – would be devoid of fancy or unnecessary gadgets. According to Mr. Schindler, pricing would hover around €20,000 ($30,000).
Some sad memories
Over the years, the Trabant became a mythical object. Pictures showing Trabis crossing the Berlin Wall even came to symbolize the fall of communism.
While this ugly duckling didn’t mature into a graceful swan, it still attracted a fair share of car collectors and enthusiasts all over the world. Proud owners now get together in clubs and take part in Trabant-related events.
God knows if the nT will actually hit the market, but in the meantime, Canadian customers can purchase a used one through Trabant Canada (www.trabant.ca), a small distributor in charge of locating and importing original Trabants!
A short history lesson
The Trabant was popular among Germans of the former GDR, enough to be likened to the Volkswagen Beetle. This small automobile was manufactured in a Zwickau plant that belonged to Audi prior to World War II.
From 1957, it was built by VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke as a two-door sedan, a three-door wagon (Kombi) and even a convertible (Tramp) that was mainly used by East German police.
Model 601 (1967-1991) stood out more than any other Trabant in people’s mind, not because of its sub-par operational refinement (the wheezy 600-cc, air-cooled, two-cylinder topped out at 110 km/h while fuel economy was a disappointing 36 mpg) and certainly not because of its cotton/plastic body panels, either (although the galvanized steel chassis made the car nearly indestructible).
No, it’s simply because almost three million units were sold before the company ran out of business soon after the fall of the Berlin Wall. In other words, just like the East German Secret Police known as Stasi, the Trabi had managed to infiltrate the daily lives of GDR people!
photo:Herpa / IndiKar
In a September interview to the New York Times, Herpa manager Klaus Schindler said that there were ongoing discussions with a number of automakers.
Moreover, as mentioned in the marketing brochure distributed at the car’s launch, a production Trabant – much like its predecessor – would be devoid of fancy or unnecessary gadgets. According to Mr. Schindler, pricing would hover around €20,000 ($30,000).
Some sad memories
Over the years, the Trabant became a mythical object. Pictures showing Trabis crossing the Berlin Wall even came to symbolize the fall of communism.
While this ugly duckling didn’t mature into a graceful swan, it still attracted a fair share of car collectors and enthusiasts all over the world. Proud owners now get together in clubs and take part in Trabant-related events.
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| Designers of the new Trabant promise a much higher level of refinement and comfort. |
God knows if the nT will actually hit the market, but in the meantime, Canadian customers can purchase a used one through Trabant Canada (www.trabant.ca), a small distributor in charge of locating and importing original Trabants!
A short history lesson
The Trabant was popular among Germans of the former GDR, enough to be likened to the Volkswagen Beetle. This small automobile was manufactured in a Zwickau plant that belonged to Audi prior to World War II.
From 1957, it was built by VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke as a two-door sedan, a three-door wagon (Kombi) and even a convertible (Tramp) that was mainly used by East German police.
Model 601 (1967-1991) stood out more than any other Trabant in people’s mind, not because of its sub-par operational refinement (the wheezy 600-cc, air-cooled, two-cylinder topped out at 110 km/h while fuel economy was a disappointing 36 mpg) and certainly not because of its cotton/plastic body panels, either (although the galvanized steel chassis made the car nearly indestructible).
No, it’s simply because almost three million units were sold before the company ran out of business soon after the fall of the Berlin Wall. In other words, just like the East German Secret Police known as Stasi, the Trabi had managed to infiltrate the daily lives of GDR people!
photo:Herpa / IndiKar
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