Eastern Bloc: 1991 Trabant 1.1
If you are going to buy a car that is as wacky as the East German built Trabant, you may as well buy the nicest example you can find. Getting a project of an East German oddball with limited parts availability (and questionable documentation, details, specs) is just a recipe for divorce, self-harm, unhousedness, and things that are even worse. So get a nice one and then you can live in it..alone. Find this 1991 Trabant 1.1 offered for $12000 in Dawsonville, GA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
From the seller:
1991 Trabant 1.1
condition: excellent
cylinders: 4 cylinders
drive: fwd
fuel: gas
odometer: 80,000
paint color: custom
title status: clean
transmission: manual
type: sedan
OBOImported from Poland 6 years ago. Registered with clean title in Georgia US. Full renovation by me.
Odometer shows around 28k kilometers but I am guessing that it has around 128k kilometers.
Engine runs good. Transmission too. Suspension smooth with a lot of new parts or restored. Brakes new. Nice interior.At this moment need carb regulation because it is running too rich or stalling.
Have also a lot of spare parts (like clutch, cv axels,.carb, etc).
I have roof rack with old suitcases (4 pcs) to look cool.
Car has been made by me for me but I need to sell it.
See a better way to drive something with VW power? tips@dailyturismo.com
Sorry what exactly makes this ‘volkswagen’ related? ( 1.1, East German, Trabant, Volkswagen). Full disclosure, my coffee probably isn’t working yet. Maybe the valve cover is the tip off?
went looking & wikip provides the answer.
the 1.1 is the final version of the Trabant. production- may ’90-apr ’91. is only Trabant version built with 4 stroke engine. The VW connection is explained in this text grab from the wikip page. “The Trabant is powered by a carburetted, water-cooled, Barkas B820 four-cylinder, OHC, Otto engine (a version of the VW EA 111 engine produced under licence).” i saw plenty of iron curtain era cars during visits with my Mother’s relatives in Eastern Finland. lada moskvich skoda wartburg etc . never saw a Trabant up there.
A water cooled 4 stroke? Well that’s no fun. Seems awfully complicated for a Trabant.
Just missed the annual Parade of Trabants – and I’m ok with that. https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a63109659/international-spy-museum-18th-annual-parade-of-trabants/