Trabant: a car that became famous with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 when thousands were seen on TV screens across the world queuing to cross the border from East to West Germany. This rusting green Trabant with faux tiger-skin seat-covers was parked in Tábor, South Bohemia, Czechia, in 2006. It has a faux BMW badge and “International Truck Driver” sticker on the bonnet or hood and a disabled parking permit in the windscreen. Launched in East Germany in 1957, the Trabant is sometimes referred to as “the worst car ever” and a symbol of the failure of communism.
Tábor, South Bohemia, Czechia: a Trabant, sometimes referred to as “the worst car ever”, in 2006. Affectionately known as the “Trabi”, the Trabant was launched in East Germany in 1957. At the time, its front-wheel-drive transmission system was an advancement. However, it had a weak two-stroke engine, a top speed of 96 km per hour (60 mph) and belched smoke. It was made with recycled waste. No meaningful additions or improvements were made. In 1957, it had no tachometer, no turn signal, no seat belts or fuel gauge and these basic features were still missing decades later. The last Trabant was produced in 1991. The Trabant became an iconic car after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 when thousands of Trabants queued to cross the border from East to West Germany. It remains a cult car in Germany. The word “trabant” is derived from the Middle High German word “drabant” which means “satellite” and the car was named to celebrate the success of the Soviet Sputnik.
Size: 2918px × 2918px
Location: Tábor, South Bohemia, Czechia
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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