European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 10, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse A close up of the trabant a front Grill autobahn Drivers Are much More Likely to see the Back of the car As they nearly run it with Traci from the Der to the museum Randy Barnett Auto editor a a a Gay Little if but i the Grubby Little trabant. Had a Brief but glorious career on West German roads after the Borders opened in november 1989. The Traci As it is popularly Cal a transported thousands of then Der citizens to the West every Day and the Little plastic bodied a putt mobiles became a great attraction on the West German autobahn. The woefully underpowered autos were heroes of sorts and for a few months of glory they bounced along the autobahn throughout West Germany. A but no a a a a a a today they arc traffic oddities just As they had been in the West., the East germans a wanting real cars that could seat five people in Comfort a immediately dropped the Travis to buy used cars in the West. Today the Travis Are White elephants a they can hardly be Given away. About the Only Market involves curiosity so ekers who want used Travis As keepsakes. But in their heyday the trabant had a buyer waiting list of up to 15 years and More than 2.5 million were sold before the East germans abandoned them for used vows opals bows Mercedes and the rest. Manufactured nearly unchanged since the Early 1960s in Zwickau East Germany the Traci is now at the end of its line. A the German govern mint announced in late november that trabant production will be stopped sometime before mid-1990. About 10,000 of the Travis still to be manufactured will be de Quot live red to Poland under an existing agreement with the former East German government. When the Travis poured into West Germany they were the subject of Many jokes one example going like this a How do you double the value of a Traci at one single stroke a a easy. Fill up its tank with \ in the world of modern Day car manufacturing the trabant truly is Ajoc a a Monument to the Grey unchanging communist production system. In going Over the cards specifications from the Early 1960s to 1989, it becomes monotonously obvious that nothing was Ever improved. In an age of disc brakes the Traci still had Drums in an age of 12-, 8-, 6-, 5-and 4-Cylindcr fuel injected engines the Traci had 2 cylinders and a single barrel Carburettor. In an age of Multi valve engines the Traci had one valve per Cylinder in an age of 5-Spccd manual and automatic gearboxes the Traci had a 4-Speed manual. The list could go on. The Carls plastic a and had a total weight of Only 1,353 pounds. The Travis came in three versions a two door Sedan and convertible and three door station Wagon. Because of the primitive design the trabant is easy to repair but that along with 33.6 Miles to. The gallon is its Only redeeming feature. The 2-Cylinder engine has a capacity of Only 594ccs less than that of most motorcycle Sand its maximum punch is a Mere 26 horsepower. Performance Zero to 50 Mph in 22.5econds, with. Maximum Speed in fourth gear being a blinding 62 Mph. With figures like that its hot surprising that the trabant a life was quickly Over once the Borders and the Wall came Down. Now the trabant is strictly a museum piece on wheels. Don Armel sit Ting behind the wheel of one of his Travis has less than an Inch to spare for headroom. A amps photos by Lynda Davidson. R a february 10, 1991 sunday c
