adevarul.ro/stil-de-viata/magazin/trabant-masina-r

The Trabant, launched in 1957 in East Germany, was initially celebrated as a socialist achievement but became a symbol of technological backwardness in the West. Despite its poor performance and reputation, it provided mobility to many in the Eastern Bloc. The Trabant 601, produced from 1964 to 1990, became iconic, with over 3 million units sold. Its modest specifications included a 600cc engine and a body made of Duroplast, which contributed to its unique identity. While ridiculed in capitalist countries, it was cherished by those behind the Iron Curtain, eventually gaining collector status in the 1990s.