Trabant

The humble yet charming Trabant first hit the roads in 1957, straight from the factory in Zwickau, East Germany. Its exotically sounding name (in historical German, meaning "companion" or "satellite") alludes to the Soviet Sputnik 1 satellite, which was launched into Earth orbit in 1957. Nevertheless, Sputnik did not improve the quality of life for ordinary citizens of the Eastern Bloc as the Trabant did. Thanks to it, East Germany was the most motorized of the communist countries.

The body of the Trabant, also known as the "cardboard Ford," was made of duroplast, a plastic resistant to corrosion and crushing, while its design referenced Western cars, such as those seen in American films. It is not surprising, then, that in People's Poland, it competed with the Syrena and then the Fiat 126p. The Trabant kept up with the times and gained new features; for example, in 1968, its engine was boosted to 26 hp. Nevertheless, in most cases, the East German government rejected significant modifications due to a lack of necessary materials.

The Trabant was also intended for export – to other Eastern European countries, as well as to Egypt. Trabants were also sent to Western Europe, but its two-stroke engine became outdated in the 1970s, which limited its trips to Western neighbors. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Trabant could no longer compete with Western car models, which performed better in every respect. The last Trabi rolled off the production line in 1990.

The illustration was created by Wrocław artist Paweł Grabowski.