After living in Görlitz for 3 years I got used to seeing the occasional Trabi struggling manfully on the A4 autobahn.
But it was the stretch Trabis that caught the eye. Streamlined ugliness!
image:http://www.dreamlimo.de/index.php?fileid=limousinen&fnr=285
But Der Spiegel reports that the species is under threat of extinction and there are only 35000 of these plastic cars left in Germany.
The beloved Trabant, a trademark of communist East Germany, is dying out fast. The number rattling around on German roads has dwindled to 35,000 from close to one million shortly after reunification. Last year’s cash-for-clunkers program appears to have persuaded many owners to ditch their brand loyalty.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall two decades ago, East Germans had had enough. Even as Trabants were hard to come by in communist times, once Germany reunified, everyone wanted a Western car.
Not long later, thought, the little plastic car with its fume-belching two-stroke engine became the premier cult item for hard-core auto enthusiasts — and for those who had succumbed to Ostalgie, dubious nostalgia for life in communist East Germany when “Trabis” provided a limited source of freedom and people had to wait 10 years for delivery. ……..The vehicles are made of Duroplast — a mixture of resin powder and cotton — and are literally falling apart. In addition, however, many owners ditched their brand loyalty last year when the German government offered a €2,500 vehicle scrapping bonus to persuade people to buy new cars to boost the flagging economy.
- A Trabi on a mountain top — A miracle!
- How do you double the value of a Trabi — Fill her up
- “I’d like 2 windshield wipers for my Trabi” — “Sounds like a good swap”
- What do you call an accident involving 4 Trabis — A Tupperware party
- Why is the luxury Trabi rear window heated – To keep your hands warm when pushing it
- Is there a device to measure a Trabi’s acceleration — A calendar
Tags: Cars, Technology, Travel
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