There might be a market for the Trabbies in Germany but for the fact they
are not street legal.  They can't pass the emission and safety
inspection.  After the reunification they were grandfathered-in to the
current owner who could keep them but couldn't transfer title.  It's too
bad.  They are really cute and fun to drive if you're not in a hurry.  The
East Germans made a lot of really clever modifications including a homemade
camper built on one that has been displayed in a recent exhibition of
innovative East German responses to the privations they had to endure.

Thanks for the word.

Charles
'85 Westy

At 01:43 AM 6/19/01 -0400, Cotsford@aol.com wrote:
>Hi,
>I am presently in a small town outside Budapest in Hungary (on my way back to
>SC from Australia).
>I can tell you that the "Trabbies" are still very much alive and well !!!
>They are very common here although there a very wide spread of small vehicles
>of all types.   I have even seen a few Vanagons.     I reckon you could pick
>the Trabbies  up by the dozen, pretty cheap.
>Trabants and Wartburgs are the left overs from the days before the wall came
>down.
>There are many other reminders of those days here too.   The western world
>has made some inroads but in comparison to Eastern Germany this place is
>decades behind.      Road manners are pretty wild here, especially when
>overtaking is done.
>
>Cheers,
>Steve Cotsford