Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Haunted by Trabant.


Just when I thought that I had forgotten about the little Trabant I was interested in, a friend stumbled across one and sent me some pictures, rekindling the desire for this tiny polymer-bodied Eastern-European wonder.

This particular 601 (the same model as the one I wrote about a few weeks back) was apparently on display in a D-Day beach museum on the Normandy coast in the north-east of France. A friend was thoughtful (or is that devious?) enough to grab a few shots, knowing full well that it would get me thinking about the one for sale near my house.
From what I can see this model is in very nice shape. While it would appear that the paint is missing some shine, this is the case with all Trabants. The rough finish of the low-tech polymer panels (a mix of resin and assorted scraps of old clothes and cotten, according to legend!) didn't lend itself to a smooth, mirror finish, even when the cars rolled off the assembly line decades ago.
As a bonus, I also was sent a picture of the specifications of the car, including engine type and displacement (2 cylinder, 596 cm3), power (26 horsepower), weight (680 kg)... and even the percentage of oil in the gas-oil mix for the 2-cycle engine (2%). This is the kind of data that a car guy loves.

It is a good thing that it is late right now, otherwise I don't know how I could have resisted calling to see if the local one is still looking for a new home...

 

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