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The racing cardboard (alias Trabant P601)

Name: Trabant P601 1984
Brand: Trabant

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Created on January 4, 2021

Text:

Daniel Reinhard

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

ddr-formel1.de

Daniel Reinhard

ddr-formel1.de

Trabant P601 (1984) - what's that looking at?

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Trabant P601 (1984) - typically came from the backyard workshop

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Trabant P601 (1984) - with the famous starting number 17

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Trabant P601 (1984) - Racing cardboard in color

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Trabant P601 (1984) - Group A racing touring car

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Trabant P601 (1984) - in the evening light

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Trabant P601 (1984) - no unnecessary luxury

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Trabant P601 (1984) - Workstation with worn leather steering wheel

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Trabant P601 (1984) - Rev counter with markings

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Trabant P601 (1984) - The small lever is used to grease the 2-stroke mixture, for long straights or downhill passages a little more was possible this way

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Trabant P601 (1984) - Metal pipes for distributing the extinguishing foam

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Trabant P601 (1984) - Relocation of the fire extinguishing system

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Trabant P601 (1984) - with mounted radiator grille

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Trabant P601 (1984) - everything can be dismantled for perfect access to the mechanics

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Trabant P601 (1984) - Two-stroke two-cylinder with flange-mounted gearbox

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Trabant P601 (1984) - View into the engine compartment

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Trabant P601 (1984) - Gear shift linkage guide

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Trabant P601 (1984) - Ikov carburetor in direct air flow

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Trabant P601 (1984) - the plugs should be enough for several uses at once

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Trabant P601 (1984) - Gearbox next to the engine

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Trabant P601 (1984) - Quick-release fasteners

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Trabant P601 (1984) - Petrol tank in the rear

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Trabant P601 (1984) - with eye-catching stickers

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Trabant P601 (1984) - lightweight construction

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Trabant P601 (1984) - Transmission calibration for the Sachsenring in 1989

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Trabant P601 (1984) - Vehicle sports license for Group A

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The predecessor Trabant P60 in the Horch Museum Zwickau

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A look under the skin of the predecessor Trabant P60 at the Horch Museum in Zwickau

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1,000,000 Trabants were celebrated in 1973 - Horch-Museum Zwickau

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1991 was the end, one of the last Trabants in the Horch Museum Zwickau

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The former Trabant factory premises in Zwickau

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Racing Trabants at the Horch Museum in Zwickau

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Trabant P601 (1984) - weighing just over 600 kg

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Trabant P601 (1984) - adapted for racing purposes

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Summary

Although the GDR car Trabant was not developed for racing, it also developed undreamt-of talents on the race tracks and rally tracks, not least thanks to substantial weight reductions and additional horsepower from the two-stroke engine. This vehicle report tells the story of the Trabant and its racing successes, illustrated with pictures of a historic racing car.

This article contains the following chapters

Presented at the party congress
How did the "cardboard" come about?
Racing in the East
Grandma as savior
In international rally sport at the factory
Black and yet colorful
Technical data P601

Estimated reading time: 6min

Preview (beginning of the article)

While the roads of the West were being driven by the Goggomobil, BMW Isetta and Zündapp Janus small cars, the East developed the Trabant. "The name Trabant should be a symbol of a reliable companion for its users," said the management of the state-owned company in Zwickau. The special design of the self-supporting body with metal frame and plastic paneling was later adopted and modified by Renault for the Espace and Smart. Initially, there were hardly any waiting times, but during Honecker's reign in 1971, economic policy changed and the further development of cars practically came to a standstill. Production figures remained stable, demand increased and so did waiting times. This standstill in all sectors ultimately led to the downfall of the state.

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