Trabant small cars were created as a result of the development of the car called AWZ P70, produced in the Zwickau plant since 1955. In 1957, a new model entered production, called the Trabant P50 (also used the designation 500), which was produced at the VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau plant. The word „trabant” is the German equivalent of the Russian „sputnik” and means traveling companion. The cars were produced in sedan (Limousine) and station wagon (Universal) versions. At the end of the 1950s, work began on the next generation of Trabant, code-named P601. The Trabant 601 debuted at the Leipzig International Fair in 1964. The car was distinguished by a more angular body than its predecessor, with already out of fashion „tails” on the rear fenders. Like its predecessors, this car had a body sheathing made of a very durable and flame-retardant material called Duroplast. From its predecessors, the Trabant 601 also inherited a two-stroke air-cooled twin-cylinder engine. In September 1965, a station wagon variant (601 Universal) and a wheelchair variant called Hycomat, equipped with a semi-automatic gearbox, entered series production. From the spring of 1967, three versions of the car were offered: Standard, S (Sonderwunsch) and de Luxe. At the end of 1968, the power of the 594.5 cm³ engine was increased from 23 to 26 hp. In 1980, a dual-circuit braking system was introduced, followed in 1982 by a new carburettor. In 1983, a 12-volt system with an alternator was introduced. Mainly for the needs of the troops guarding the borders of the GDR, a version with an open body without doors and called „kubelwagen” was produced. The last Trabant with a two-stroke engine rolled off the assembly line on July 25, 1990. Throughout the production period, 2,818,547 units were produced. In the years 1990-1991, the factory in Zwickau left Trabants 1.1 equipped with a drive unit adapted from the VW Polo.
Engine 594 cc P60-P66 Two-stroke L2
Transmission 4-speed manual
Wheelbase 2020 mm
Length 3555mm
Width 1505mm
Height 1440mm
Weight 615 kg