This could get ****canned, don't know. I've been reading a lot about East German Trabant cars. Only find one mention of them on HAMB; by member motoklas. Are there any of our European bros who can tell me more about them?
My dad tells a story about a coworker buying a Trabant and it was delivered in a wooden crate. Too bad cell phone cameras didn’t exist then.
Most were 2 strokes and they had some kind of freewheeling setup, but you could ruin the engine if you didn't do everything correctly.
What do Ya think @chevy57dude Steve...... A straight axle, 9 In. rear & a high winding small block? Would be a ball to drive!!!! God Bless Bill https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ar-transport-hauling-open-or-enclosed.614419/
There were plenty here after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Not many made it to new registration and on the road but were for sale by wishfull thinking old car flippers. Same for Volga and Wartburg. Wartburg was also two-stroke.
Correct me if I am wrong but I believe some of the Trabant models had bodies made from a soy bean based composite. Perfect farm vehicle, you could grow replacement body panels and the fuel to run the car. (Soy beans and corn)
I’ve heard that too and also that engine fires were common and would cause the entire car to melt in to a puddle.
First time I’ve ever seen or heard of a Trabant was at a U2 concert in 1995. They used them for stage lighting, thought that was quite clever.
Henry's 1941 Soybean car never reached the public mainly because World War II put a hault to automotive innovation. HRP
This seems like the proper place to also post some relative information that will either bring a smile to some of the older geezers ( like me ) faces, that actually rode one of these at various carnivals, and to a certain extent, will educate the younger HOODLUMS about a cool element, that used to exist long ago! Enjoy from Dennis.
I had looked into importing one a few years ago cause I thought it was a neat car. 4 speed on the column, 2 stroke with free wheeling disconnect much like the Saab 2 strokes. The duroplast is said to be basically recycled cotton fibers and resin, or basically made of trash. Turned out they are far more expensive to bring over than I deem what it would be worth to own one.
That's surely an AI quote because no one on earth would ever confuse the Trabant, of which 3,6 Mio were built, with the virtually unknown Ford Soybean car. There is no confusion, those are 2 completely different cars from different times built under completely different cir***stances.
I think there is nothing interesting about those cars except for the fact that they were built from 1958 to 91 although they were already technically outdated in 1958.
@41 GMC K-18 I would ***ume a similar name only, not actual connection? This doesn't confirm, but does mention a German heritage. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wipeout_(ride)
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