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Trabant 601

26 years, 2,818,547 cars: the two-stroke that became a symbol of the Berlin Wall's fall.123

Researched October 30, 2026 from 31 sources

Also called

  • TrabiAn affectionate Eastern Bloc name. Trabant means "satellite"; the original name honored Sputnik.456
  • RennpappeAn affectionate DDR track-racing name meaning "cardboard racers"; the Duroplast panels inspired the joke.27
  • PlastikbomberA disparaging DDR nickname, literally "plastic bomber."7
  • StoffhundA name for the open NVA Kübel version introduced in 1966.7

At a glance

0100200
22.7–25.6 hpPower
050100
35 s0–100 km/h
0100200
100–108 km/hTop speed
0150300
51–54 N·mTorque
05001,000
610–650 kgWeight

The coral arc spans the family, from its mildest version to its wildest.2568910

Engine
Road versions: 594.5 cc air-cooled two-stroke twin2
Layout
Transverse front engine, front-wheel drive5
Gearbox
4-speed column manual; 4th-gear freewheel; Hycomat automatic clutch26
Built at
VEB Sachsenring works, Zwickau, East Germany2
Units built
2,818,547 across 1964–19902

The story

Created as affordable, easily repaired transport for East Germany, the 601 wore cotton-and-resin Duroplast panels. Buyers could wait 10 years or more; used examples often cost more than new cars.238

1964: June: Limousine production begins19641965: Universal wagon and Hycomat arrive19651968: Late 1968: output reaches 25.6 hp19681974: 50:1 mixture and 108 km/h19741979: P610 replacement project stopped19791984: 12 volts and a two-stage carburetor19841988: Coil springs replace the rear leaf19881989: November: the Berlin Wall opens19891990: July 25: the final 6011990 AWZ P70 Zwickau (P70): 1955–1959P70Trabant 500 (P 50): 1957–1962P 50Trabant 600 (P 60): 1962–1965Trabant 601 (P601): 1964–1990P601Trabant 1.1: 1990–1991 1960197019801990200020102020
GenerationsBefore and afterMilestones27181920
Show the numbers
YearWhat happened
1955–1959AWZ P70 Zwickau (P70)
1957–1962Trabant 500 (P 50)
1962–1965Trabant 600 (P 60)
1964–1990Trabant 601 (P601)
1990–1991Trabant 1.1
1964June: Limousine production begins
1965Universal wagon and Hycomat arrive
1968Late 1968: output reaches 25.6 hp
197450:1 mixture and 108 km/h
1979P610 replacement project stopped
198412 volts and a two-stage carburetor
1988Coil springs replace the rear leaf
1989November: the Berlin Wall opens
1990July 25: the final 601
  1. 1964

    June: Limousine production begins

    The Limousine starts series production in June: 3,555 mm long, 1,504 mm wide and 1,437 mm tall, with a 2,020 mm wheelbase.69

  2. 1965

    Universal wagon and Hycomat arrive

    The Universal wagon joins the range in the second half of 1965; Hycomat adds automatic clutch operation to both sedan and wagon.210

  3. 1968

    Late 1968: output reaches 25.6 hp

    The P 63 and P 64 engines raise output from 22.7 to 25.6 hp in the fourth quarter; P 64 is the Hycomat version.29

  4. 1974

    50:1 mixture and 108 km/h

    Needle-bearing piston pins allow a 50:1 gas-to-oil mix instead of 33:1; revised gearbox and final-drive ratios lift top speed to 108 km/h.910

  5. 1979

    P610 replacement project stopped

    Dietel and Rudolph's replacement projects are halted: the P603 in fall 1968, then the P610 in 1979.11

  6. 1984

    12 volts and a two-stage carburetor

    A 6-to-12-volt switch brings a 500 W alternator; the 28 H 1-1 two-stage carburetor trims fuel use by about 1 L/100 km.10

  7. 1988

    Coil springs replace the rear leaf

    Rear coil springs replace the transverse leaf spring, following electronic ignition in 1985. Electronic-ignition versions use up to 7.5 L/100 km.12

  8. 1989

    November: the Berlin Wall opens

    Trabants carry thousands of East Germans across newly opened borders; the 601 becomes a symbol of German reunification.36

  9. 1990

    July 25: the final 601

    The last 601 leaves Zwickau on July 25, ending production with 2,818,547 cars built.26

Every generation

  • DKW F8 / IFA F8
    F8
  • AWZ P70 Zwickau
    P701955–1959
  • Trabant 500
    P 501957–1962
  • Trabant 600
    P 601962–1965
  • Trabant 601
    P6011964–1990
  • Trabant 1.1
    Trabant 1.11990–1991

Versions

10 versions worth knowing, with their power.

  • Standard

    601 S (Sonderwunsch)

    From 1967

  • 601 DeLuxe

    Standard

    601 DeLuxe

    1966–1979

  • 601 S de Luxe

    Standard

    601 S de Luxe

    From 1978

  • 601 Hycomat (P601 H)

    Special

    601 Hycomat (P601 H)

    1965–1990

  • P 601 A Kübel

    Special

    P 601 A Kübel

    From 1966

  • Special

    P 601 F (Forst)

  • P 601 Z Tramp

    Special

    P 601 Z Tramp

    From 1978

  • P 601 R

    Racing

    P 601 R

  • 800 RS

    Racing

    800 RS

    1986–1988

    63 hp

  • Limited

    1973 World Festival Kübel

    1973

    10 built

How to spot one

Look for

  • Straight sides and a flat roof give the body a stretched profile.6
  • A broad grille fills the nose, although the engine has no radiator.510
  • The Limousine is a two-door sedan; the Universal is a three-door wagon.2
  • 1964 sedans have large rear light clusters above rectangular reflectors.69
  • Later sedans and wagons have ventilation grilles behind the side windows.17

Year by year

  1. 1966

    Painted bumpers changed from three pieces to one; chrome bumpers retained their three-piece construction.9

  2. 1967

    A new aluminum grille and flat hubcaps appeared.9

  3. 1969

    The winged grille emblem gave way to a simple S on the hood; ventilation slots appeared on the sedan's rear pillars.9

  4. 1977

    Hubcaps gave way to black plastic center and wheel-nut covers.9

  5. 1980

    Squarer bumpers gained black plastic corners.910

  6. 1981

    Door handles changed to black plastic.10

Don’t confuse it with

  • Trabant 1.1

    A squarer hood and a fuel filler at the right rear are key clues; its grille, bumpers and taillights also differ.2

  • Trabant P 50 / 600

    Both have small cooling vents below the headlights; the 601 instead uses a large grille.101819

Prices

Value today $1.9K–$9.0K2526

Auction saleValue today
$0$5K$10K$15K$20K 2022202420262028 Value today: $1,900–$9,000 2023 · $6,800 · 1977 601 Limousine, 32k km shown, BaT2024 · $9,000 · 1989 Limousine, 7k km shown, Bring a Trailer2026 · $16,232 · 1990 601, 8 km, Classic Trader Auctions $16.2K Classic Trader Auctions, 2026
263031
Show the numbers
YearPriceAmountDetail
2023Auction sale$6,8001977 601 Limousine, 32k km shown, BaT
2024Auction sale$9,0001989 Limousine, 7k km shown, Bring a Trailer
2026Auction sale$16,2321990 601, 8 km, Classic Trader Auctions
2026Value today$1,900–$9,000

The rest of the story is in the app

The full file tells why each version matters, the legend behind the car and what to check before buying one.

  • Versions

    • Why each of the 10 versions matters

  • Legend

    • 14 stories from its legend
    • “Monte Carlo: first in class, 71st overall”
    • “Ziegler's champion: 78.9 hp from 597 cc”

  • Generations

    • The story of each of the 6 generations

  • Market

    • 6 things to check before buying one
    • Where prices are heading, and why
Read the full file in SPOT

SPOT is free on iPhone. Full car files come with SPOT Plus.

Sources

Every fact on this page links to the source it rests on.

See all 31 sources
  1. Trabant 601 Universal: Trabant 601 Universal mit 6000 Kilometern - AUTO BILD KLASSIK autobild.de
  2. Trabant 601 - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  3. Berlin Trabant tour: exploring the German capital in a classic East German Trabant 601 the-european.eu
  4. Download Trabi II | DOS Games Archive dosgamesarchive.com
  5. Test Trabant 601 Limousine garaz.cz
  6. Trabant 601 der VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau – 1000 Schlüsseldokumente 1000dokumente.de
  7. Nachruf: Trabi P 601-Erfinder Werner Lang - AUTO BILD KLASSIK autobild.de
  8. Trabi 601: DDR-Kultauto ist mittlerweile 60 Jahre alt | Oldtimer t-online.de
  9. Modellpflege Trabant P 601 trabantteam-freital.de
  10. Trabant 601 – Wikipedia de.wikipedia.org
  11. Lutz Rudolph - Automodelle ddrformgestaltung.de
  12. Trabant 601 - Mydelniczka - Auto Świat auto-swiat.pl
  13. Trabant-Technik.de-page30 trabant-technik.de
  14. Trabant-Technik.de-page50 trabant-technik.de
  15. FIA Historic Database historicdb.fia.com
  16. 60 Jahre Trabant-Rallyesport rallye-magazin.de
  17. Trabant 601 – pozory mylą - Auto Świat auto-swiat.pl
  18. Trabant P 50 - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  19. Trabant 600 - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  20. AWZ P70 Zwickau - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  21. Deutsch-englischer Klassiker-Vergleich - AUTO BILD KLASSIK autobild.de
  22. Tracktest: Trabant 601 aus dem Trabant-Lada-Racing-Cup (TLRC) - AUTO BILD autobild.de
  23. U2 Achtung Baby 30th Anniversary – Thierry Noir thierrynoir.com
  24. IGCD.net - Internet Game Cars Database igcd.net
  25. Trabant 601 For Sale & Price Guide | The Classic Valuer theclassicvaluer.com
  26. 1989 Trabant 601 Limousine for sale on BaT Auctions - sold for $9,000 on June 20, 2024 (Lot #151,384) | Bring a Trailer bringatrailer.com
  27. Trabi, Wartburg & Co: This is how much GDR cars are worth today diesachsen.de
  28. Das TRABI Diskussionsforum » Technik » Unterboden schweißen, PhonEx und der Rostteufel... trabantforum.de
  29. FSO Polonez, Trabant und Lada: die Kaufberatung für Ostblock-Klassiker - carseto carseto.com
  30. 1990 | Trabant 601 Auction Result | Classic Trader classic-trader.com
  31. No Reserve: 1977 Trabant 601 Limousine for sale on BaT Auctions - sold for $6,800 on April 19, 2023 (Lot #104,506) | Bring a Trailer bringatrailer.com
  • autobild.de
  • en.wikipedia.org
  • the-european.eu
  • dosgamesarchive.com
  • garaz.cz
  • 1000dokumente.de
  • t-online.de
  • trabantteam-freital.de
  • de.wikipedia.org
  • ddrformgestaltung.de
  • auto-swiat.pl
  • trabant-technik.de
  • historicdb.fia.com
  • rallye-magazin.de

Photo credits

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