This year, 60 years from the last journey taken by F.A. Elstner and his Aero Minor to Africa (and also from the first journey taken by Hanzelka and Zikmund in Tatra 87) will elapse. 1947 was the year in which prewar a post war symbols of automotive adventure met for the first and the last time  at once.

But there is another big anniversary. 50 years ago the first Trabant left the production line. That means that the year 2007 is also the year of Trabant, a rustless car that belongs among the car legends – german VW Beetle, british Mini, french Citroen 2CV and italian Fiat 500.

Similarly to the other small car legends, spirit of Trabant holds more than just a memories on the first car. But none of the others reminds that much as a Trabant. An East German „wonder“, once a dream hard to get, bears the scent of the times of Berlin wall, of the times which split the world with the Iron Curtain.
To stamp it as legend is therefore not stilted at all.

But present-day owners of Trabant do not see their car as symbol of times of „better tomorrows“. It is just a feeling lying somewhere deep inside, feeling which can be called a passion. Passion for unique car, which Trabant undoubtedly is.

But it is also the car, which fulfils all our demands – it is cheap, it have been manufactured from 1957 with no major modifications and its conception is even older.
Trabant deserves to be proved that it can sustain the same journey which many people would be afraid to undergo with SUV stuffed with electronics.

Trabant 601 vs. Aero Minor

Today Trabant is considered to be a dead-handed car, which has never been modern. That is not true. Same as is false the idea that there has been no attemps to modernize it. But the party and the government had shown no interest. The car was in its times fully capable of competing in its segment of small cars. However anticipating the same in 1990, when the last Trabant left the production line, would be at least naive.
For us, the most intriguing fact is that Trabant fully represents the post war conception of a small car. Same as Aero Minor. Just compare their parameters.

Engine Stroke volume Power Cooling Lubrication Tank capacity Fuel transport Gear-box Body Axles Suspension Brakes Weight Load capacity Widht Lenght Fuel consumption Max speed	Aero Minor two-strokes, two-cylinder; placed in front of the axle 615,75 cc 20 HP water oil-gas mixture; 1:25 25 l gravity drainage 4+1, shifter in dash board monocoque, all-steel swing-arm transversal flat springs hydraulic, shoe brakes 710 kg 320 kg 1420 mm 4040 mm 8 l/100 km 100 km/hod	Trabant 601 two-strokes, two-cylinder; placed in front of the axle 594,5 cc 26 HP air oil-gas mixture; 1:50 26 l gravity drainage 4+1, shifter in dash board monocoque, with duroplast parts swing-arm transversal flat springs hydraulic, shoe brakes 650 kg 390 kg 1510 mm 3560 mm (u verze Kombi) 7 l/100 km 100 km/hod