East Germany's Iconic Car - The Trabant

ZWICKAU, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 01: Andreas Liebezeit poses at the Trabant Club Zwickau annual gathering of Trabi owners on September 1, 2018 in Zwickau, Saxony, Germany. The engine for the 500, 600 and the original 601 was a small two-stroke engine with two cylinders, accounting for the vehicle's modest performance. It took 21 seconds to accelerate from zero to its top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph). The engine produced a very smoky exhaust and was a significant source of air pollution: nine times the hydrocarbons and five times the carbon-monoxide emissions of the average 2007 European car. Since the engine did not have an oil pump, two-stroke oil had to be added to the fuel tank at each fill-up. Because the Trabant had no fuel pump, its fuel tank was above the motor so fuel could reach the carburetor by gravity; this increased the risk of fire in front-end accidents. Earlier models had no fuel gauge, and a dipstick was inserted into the tank to determine how much fuel remained. Best known for its dull color scheme and cramped, uncomfortable ride, the Trabant was an object of ridicule for many Germans and is regarded as symbolic of the fall of the Eastern Bloc. Known as a "spark plug with a roof" because of its small size, the car did eventually gain public affection. Its design remained essentially unchanged from its introduction in the late 1950s, and the last model was introduced in 1964. It ceased production in 1991. (Photo by Craig Stennett/Getty Images)