1974 Trabant 601 from North America - Comments

Since purchasing the car the only thing to go wrong were:

1. The Battery had to be replaced.

2. One front ball joint had to be replaced.

AND

3. The gas tank had to be replaced due to rust after prolonged storage.

The Trabant has become a cult-auto and so regardless what minor, or for that matter major quirks it may have, owners will love them anyway.

The Trabant is so primitive in design that even a non-mechanically inclined person stands a good chance of figuring out why it won't start. Should repairs be necessary, they are also very easy to make.

Fuel consumption is amazingly low. I spend less than $20 a month for fuel.

How did you legally register a Trabi in the US? Even "Car and Driver" couldn't do it!

I would like to buy a Trabant and bring it to the United States but have been told that U.S. Customs will not allow one to be imported here. Would someone please email me with the rules and what to do to avoid any trouble?

Sonny@aic-fl.com.

I've been wondering the same thing - I would love to get my hands on a pre-1976 model to circumvent the 25 year old rule. Please email me at ekimap@hotmail.com.

Ed Kim.

If the Trabant you're bringing is more than 25 years old, it is exempt from the emissions regulations that kept Car & Driver's Trabi off of the road. There are probably 50 or more "vintage" (25+ year old) Trabants registered in the states.

I do believe the reason why the Sachsenring Trabant is so easy to repair is because it's like working on a lawn mower, or any other motorized yard tool that uses a two-stroke engine.

Also, with fuel economy like that, you'd think they'd be more popular here, in both the US and Canada. In fact, I may see about getting one of those little cars imported into Canada. But I may need to check the regulations.