My dad bought a Wartburg 311 when I was 11.  It is based on an old
DKW/Audi design with a 3 cylinder 1l two stroke engine.  It was a
pretty car, hence no Trabant in our family.

Gee, that gives me a Vanagon  engine conversion idea. ;-)

On 4/22/09, Zoltan <thewestyman@gmail.com> wrote:
> Well, I'm not an East German or a one time owner of a Trabant.  It is a car
> with two two-stroke cylinders, sounding like a lawn mower, the frame is
> steel the body is some pressed syntetic material or fibre glass, so you did
> not see one with a rusted out door.  Not a heavy car, four seater, made in
> the DDR.  Ended production after the take over, even had to replace the
> engine with a four stroke one.  It smoked and smelled but those who had one
> loved it for being trouble free and running forever.  Front wheel drive.
> Sputtering.  Four seater, two door.
> The word Trabant means "travelling mate" or something to that effect.  A
> real simbol of the 'good old times' of the communist era.  It was to them as
> the VW Beatle to us.
> The East Germans also had a three cylinder car that was bigger and faster
> and nicer, kind of like a 'communist Mercedes', called Wartburg.
> Now, you don't see any of them in Europe.  They are gone just as the Citroen
> DS or the Citroen 2CV.
>
> But the communists had a few other cars people here in the US would never
> recognize.  One of them was a rear flat engined air-cooled car with four
> seats and two doors, made in the Soviet Unio, bearing the name of the town
> is made in, Zaporozetz.
>
> Those of us who grew up in those times, remember the times in good spirit
> for we were young and playful and healthy and in love, etc.  Otherwise it
> was shit.
> Zoltan
>
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Tom Buese
>   To: Zoltan
>   Cc: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>   Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 8:11 PM
>   Subject: Re: Cool Vanagon Paint Job
>
>
>
>
>   On Apr 21, 2009, at 6:58 PM, Zoltan wrote:
>
>
>     It would impossible for an American to even guess this car painted on.
> It
>     is a Trabant 601, if I'm not mistaken.  And I bet, I'm not.
>     One of the nicest and most fun paint job.
>
>
>   OK, I'll show my ignorance, what is a Trabant-French?
>
>
>   YMMV,
>
>
>   Mr. BZ
>
>
>     Zoltan
>
>
>     ----- Original Message -----
>     From: "Mister Tom" <TomsGroups@SALICOS.COM>
>     To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>     Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 3:50 PM
>     Subject: Cool Vanagon Paint Job
>
>
>
>
>       http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3384/3334006588_3092a1321d.jpg?v=0
>
>
>   Tom Buese
>   tombuese@comcast.net
>

--
Sent from my mobile device

Chris S.
Disclaimer: "Death and serious injury may occur"