After a three-year restoration period, an extraordinary vehicle from Zwickau’s automotive history has been restored: the Trabant P 602 V with the KKM 400 Wankel engine—a prototype built by VEB Sachsenring in 1966. It was completed in time for today—the 124th birthday of Felix Wankel.
Even at first glance, the P 602 V differs from the familiar Trabant. Its fastback body features a wheelbase that has been extended by about 30 centimeters. The vehicle was originally developed as part of a project focused on two key issues: modernizing the Trabant body and testing various rotary engines, commonly known as Wankel engines after their inventor.
In October 1966, the P 602 V was registered for road use for testing purposes and was later restored to a condition close to production specification by various owners. The vehicle is currently owned by a private lender who has made it available to the August Horch Museum on permanent loan. As part of the restoration, the vehicle was restored to a condition that allows its historic significance to be fully appreciated. Various parts of the vehicle come from the August Horch Museum’s collection, including the KKM 400 Wankel engine, the seats, the subframe, and various small parts, such as the steering wheel and door handles.
To mark the “60th Anniversary of the Trabant with a Wankel Engine,” the P 602 V will be on display starting October 1, 2026, alongside the Wankel Trabant “Felix” from the collection of the International Trabant Registry as part of the special exhibition “2 Concepts
1 Anniversary: 60 Years of the Trabant with a Wankel Engine.” The exhibition will be on view through June 27, 2027.
About the August Horch Museum
August Horch Museum Zwickau gGmbH is a nonprofit organization founded by the City of Zwickau and AUDI AG in December 2000. The two shareholders each hold half of the company’s shares. The purpose of the organization is to operate the August Horch Museum and to document the history of automobile manufacturing in Zwickau.
August Horch Museum Zwickau gGmbH
Audistraße 7
08058 Zwickau
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