In July 2007 the expedition of three men who are going to track the Silk Road into Central Asia deserts by trabant starts. The purpose of the journey is not only to make a documentary and prepare articles about practically unknown world of the deserts Karakum and Kyzyl Kum, historical sites that forms the heart of the Silk Road and the suroundings of drying up Aral Sea but above all to remind „the big journeys of small cars“ taken by Czech automobile explorers in the middle of the last century. That is also the very most reason why we've decided to use Trabant 601 as a means of transport for this journey – it represents the symbol of the minimalist car built on the same basics as the vehicles of the first republic travellers. Why won't we go in the SUV? Because such a car warrants almost hundred percent certainty of success. Only a big journey taken by small car is the true extract of adventure never-to-be-forgotten.

Big Journeys of Small Cars

At the beginning of the 20 th century there were not many places that humans have not been to. But almost none of these places have experienced the imprint of the tires. However, the white spots on the maps are irritating!



At the beginning of the 21 th century there are cars everywhere. It is no more a problem to travel practically everywhere by car controlled by computer. But is this the spirit of exploring? And today, is it still possible to get to know the unknown places without GPS or ABS? We believe it is.
You just have to return to the beginnings. To take a big journey with small technique. Like the vintage cars going from Paris to Beijing or from London to Sydney.
Journey, taken by car that was made in times when it was not usual to have a car, is different. Though also these journeys need the powerful assistance of present-day supporting technics.

That is the reason why we would like to make a bid for something else. We would like to prove that the challenging expedition to almost unknown places can be done and that it can be done even without support of modern era inventions, which are necessary only seemingly.

Basically, Czech prewar car expeditions tried to prove the same. Even in those days, these expeditions were not taken in the most modern automobiles but the automobiles of lower and the lowest class. The best known explorer was František Alexander Elstner who crusied Africa in Aero Minor. But there were also the others. Jiří Baum set out for Black continent in Tatra 12, husbands Škulins in Skoda Popular. Those cars of different productions had something in common – relatively small motors with engines not exceeding 20 HP.

It would be wonderful to take one of these cars and set out on the routes known from the books. But... But yet the usage of renewed vintage car disclaims the essentials principle of those expeditions – to prove that a big journey can be taken without an expensive car.

We've had to find other way. And it appeared soon. It has been enought to have a look at Elstner's Aero Minor parameters – two-stroke, two-cylinder engine of cubic capacity of 600 cm3. There is only one currently used car that is powered by the similar aggregate as the Elstner´s Aero Minor – Trabant.

Trabant – the imprecated and admired legend of the East. Vehicle, which most of his owners would like to get rid of but none of them could ever deny its sturdiness an tenacity, which could hardly any other automobile compete with.
This is our horse. Conceptually a vintage car similar to the smallest cars that was so popular among prewar globetrotters, but still for very affordable price.

But new vehicle called for a new journey. Such a goal that is as interesting and mysterious as Africa of the thirties. A place that most of the people know but most of them do not know where it lies. The spinning globe stopped in the middle of nowhere – in the Central Asia, on the trails of the caravans on the Silk Road.

The territory between China and Kaspic Sea as if have never existed for majority of the Europeans. The heart of Levant ruled by unbearable heat of the deserts. Such a goal is equal to journey taken in honour to all who were able to rely only on crocky car and on themselves.

Our Journey Through Forgotten World

What is our goal then? We will set out on the 15 000 kilometres long journey through 12 countries in Trabant 601 Kombi (made in 1986) with no major modifications.
We will enter the Asia in Bospor and after one month long travelling we will leave crossing the Straits of Kertch onto Krym. In between, a lot of things is in for us - Turkey and Kurdistan with mythical mountain Ararat and controversial remains of Noah´s Ark, then crossing Iran and Turkmenistan, we'll be still heading east to Uzbekistan and climax of our expedition - its well-known historical centers of the Silk Road, cities Bukhara and Samarkand. Cruising the land from The Book of One Thousand and One Nights, the deserts Karakum and Kyzyl Kum and one of the biggest ecological catastrophies ever – dying Aral Sea, our trail will break west. Leaving the dead shipwrecks lying on their corroding bilges in the middle of wastland covered with thick layer of salt we will continue west to the Kazachstan and the shores of Caspian Sea, Volga River and its green and unimaginagly vast delta. Than across the land of Cossacs, on Krym and throught Ukraine back home.

Czechs, who conquered the world behind the steering wheel

Czechoslovakia as industrial per-war superpower offered great possibiliteis to all cog wheels loving travellers, thus all Czech expeditions have used cars of national production. With only one exception, none of cars exceeded 25HP. We have whole 26.

1931 - J. Baum together with sculptor F. V. Foit crossed Africa from north to south in Tatra 12 (14 HP). During whole journy, their car experienced no malfunction.
1933 - spouses Elstners (and two other cars) crossed North Africa in Aero 662 (18 HP), more than 14 000 km
1934 - seven students, Prague - Calcutta, new „people's“ cars Škoda Popular (23 HP), 14 800 km
1936 - spouses Elstners with Škoda Popular (23 HP), USA a Mexico, only one defect during 25 000 km
1936 - J. B. Procházka a J. Kubias, around the world in 100 days with used Škoda Rapid (30 HP). Have returned in 98 days.
1936 - husbands Škulins in Škoda Popular (23 HP), from Dakaru across Africa on Madagascar, then to the South to Johannesburg a and than back to Egypt, 52 000 km
1947 - husbands Elstners with their son through southwest Africa in Aero Minor (20 HP), sprint to equator and back, 13 110 km with no defect
1947 - Hanzelka a Zikmund in Tatrou 87 with magnificent 75 HP have set for their first journey. The era of small cars is slowly fading, big journeys stays.