Classic Car Trabant: History, Design, and Legacy|2025 Guide

The Trabant stands as one of the most recognizable small cars of the 20th century, particularly emblematic of East Germany’s automotive heritage. Produced from 1957 to 1991 by VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke in Zwickau, the Trabant became a household name behind the Iron Curtain—and beyond.

Origins and Engineering

Born in the aftermath of World War II, the Trabant was designed to provide affordable, practical transportation for everyday people. Its lightweight construction relied on a fiberglass body reinforced with a steel frame—an innovative approach at the time—aimed at reducing weight and fuel consumption. The car’s most distinctive feature, its small, rounded shape and bubble-like windows, earned it nicknames like