Wartburg 353

The name Wartburg comes from the castle located near Eisenach – the town where these cars were produced from 1955 to 1991. It was extremely popular on the then impoverished Polish car market.

VEB Automobilwerk Eisenach presented the first Wartburg 353 in 1966 as the successor to the 313 model. Initially called "Der neue 1000" by the East German manufacturer, it came in many body versions: sedan, station wagon, pickup, convertible, coupe, and sport. The Wartburg's body, unlike popular passenger car models of the time, was built on a frame and had distinctive gaps.

Under the hood was a two-stroke engine driving the front wheels. This three-cylinder unit with a displacement of 992 cm3 developed up to 50 HP and provided "unforgettable" acoustic driving sensations. Due to this fact and the lack of sound insulation in the body, the Wartburg earned the nickname "warczyburg" (growlingburg).

The end of the brand came just after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The last Wartburg was assembled in 1991. However, the models that have survived to this day still evoke a lot of positive emotions.

The author of the drawing is Mariusz Felek Foltak.