Word Value (WV)

The Trabant

The Trabant /trəˈbɑːnt/ is a car that was produced by former East German auto maker VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau in Zwickau, Saxony. It was the most common vehicle in East Germany, and was also exported to countries both inside and outside the communist bloc. The main selling points were that it had room for four adults and luggage in a compact, light and durable shell; it was fast (when introduced); and it was durable.

With its poor performance, outdated and inefficient two-stroke engine (which returned poor fuel economy for the car's size and produced smoky exhaust), and production shortages, the Trabant is often cited as an example of the disadvantages of centralized planning[citation needed][dubious – discuss]; on the other hand, it is also regarded with derisive affection as a symbol of the extinct former East Germany and of the fall of communism (in former West Germany, as many East Germans streamed into West Berlin and West Germany in their Trabants after the opening of the Berlin Wall in 1989). It was in production without any significant changes for nearly 30 years, with 3,096,099 Trabants produced in total. In the West, much has been written about the Trabant, mostly negative: to comedic effect, emphasis was placed on the shortcomings of the Trabant, rather than its good points, such as that it was simple to operate and easily repaired. However, many of the former owners of the Trabant still emphasize advantages such as high capacity—the Trabant being able to carry over 1000 kg of cargo[citation needed], and in some cases it has become trendy for collectors to import older models to the US due to their low cost and easier import restrictions on antique vehicles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trabant