Trabant

The humble but charming Trabant first hit the roads in 1957, straight from the factory in Zwickau, East Germany. Its exotic-sounding name (in archaic German, meaning "companion" or "satellite") refers to the Soviet satellite Sputnik 1, 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 corrosion and crush-resistant plastic, while its design was inspired by Western cars, such as those seen in American films. It is not surprising, then, that in communist Poland it competed with the Syrena and then with 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, and also to Egypt. Trabants were also sent to Western Europe, but its two-stroke engine became obsolete 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 assembly line in 1990.

The drawing was created by Wrocław artist Paweł Grabowski.