Trabant Trabant 1.1 History

First prototyped in 1988 and available in pre-series form in 1989, the Trabant 1.1 reached series production in May 1990 as the GDR's attempt to finally modernize the Trabant. Its defining change was the replacement of the ancient two-stroke engine with a 1,043 cc four-stroke VW Polo engine producing 45 PS — nearly double the 601's output — giving the car modern exhaust emissions and a far more refined drive.

The 1.1 retained the familiar 601 body in saloon, Universal estate, and Tramp open-body forms. But it arrived at the worst possible moment: German monetary union in July 1990 instantly made Western cars affordable to East Germans, and demand for any Trabant collapsed almost overnight. Series production was halted in April 1991 after just eleven months, ending the Trabant line entirely. The total run of Trabant 1.1 vehicles was very short and far below any production targets.