DKW Auto-Union Project: 1958 Trabant Review KFZ 9/1958

The Trabant small car

1957 has been a significant year in which Soviet scientists succeeded in launching the first satellites, the "Sputniks", into space, and the pilot series of the small car, the P-50 of the VEB Automobilwerk AWZ Zwickau - now VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau - made its way to the public under the name Trabant (Fig. 1).

The Trabant’s technical conception has already been published in the Motor Vehicle Technology No. 10/1956. The essential details have not changed, as can also be seen from the comparative values in table 1 of the article "Kraftfahrzeugtechnische Development im Spiegel der IAA 1957" in No. 12/1957 of this magazine. The modern design developments of small cars, according to the latest international status, were specified there, from which it can be seen that the technical design of the Trabant corresponds to the international standard.

Its technical data after the pilot series status can be found in Table 1.

After five test cars in the original concept (type I) were driven more than 100,000 km. The five test cars of type II, which correspond to the Trabant, were built between October 1956 and July 1957 and subjected to tough endurance testing of between 30,000 to 50 000 km. Several production examples and 15% of the cars from the pilot series were put through their paces again in order to eliminate any teething troubles that occurred before the start of series production. The results of the driving tests are shown in Figures 2 to 7.

The production of the pilot series in the period from December 1957 to March 1958 gave the opportunity to check the technology and production preparations. This applies in particular to body construction. The self-supporting body, consisting of a platform frame and sheet steel skeleton (Fig. 13, Fig. 8), was something new for the plant's technologists, production engineers and workers in the body shop. This type of construction places special demands on the manufacture of the pressed sheet metal parts and the welding. The production lines required for this were newly created and equipped with automatic welding equipment and the necessary assembly devices. It deserves special recognition that the transition from the previous wooden skeleton design of the P-70 to the new design was mastered by the coach-builders within a short time.

So the Trabant now makes its way over the streets of our republic and other countries. In addition to the factory test, in which the car was subjected to the ultimate test, it has already been tested by various official bodies. In addition, from December 1957, 150 pre-series cars were given to various departments, works, workshops, etc. for broad testing. The result of the test as well as useful, important suggestions and tips will be of benefit for the series production.

The recurring judgment from the testing is shown in the following text:

“The Trabant that was made available to us as a test car showed impressive driving performance that we hardly expected. Above all, its good road holding and maneuverability as well as its excellent cornering and slip resistance even on wet roads were impressive. Due to the excellent road holding of the car, the average speeds achieved on country roads are also very favourable. The top speed of 90 km meets the requirements of a small car, the acceleration can only be described as good.

The gearing is designed very favorably in its grading and shifts surprisingly easily.

Seen as a whole, driving the Trabant is child's play, even in the heaviest traffic, without any physical exertion. The oil pressure brake is excellent in its effect. The seating conditions of the limousine correspond to the demands that can be made of a small car with a wheelbase of around 2m; it offers plenty of space for four normal people."

Anyone who has ever driven a Trabant will not only recognize the technical progress that has been achieved with this small car but will also realize that everything is designed to offer the owner, within the limits of the small car, a car that is easy on the eyes, easy to drive and comfortable even on long journeys and economical to operate. All the efforts of the vehicle manufacturers at the VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau plant are aimed at giving the buyer a car that will not disappoint him and will not let him down.

Editor's note
The editors of our magazine also had a test car from the pilot series at their disposal for a good four weeks, which was put through its paces in city and intercity traffic. Here, too, the excellent road holding, directional stability and speed, but also the temperament of the Trabant, which was superior to many a more powerful car when starting and accelerating in city traffic, but also on winding mountain roads, was particularly noticeable. The car ran for more than 6,000 km despite the forced driving style, apart from insignificant details on the electrical accessories, without any faults and without a drop in performance. A fuel consumption of around 6.51/100 km was achieved over the entire route, which is a very good value given the hard driving style.

In this context, a brief comparison with the new Lloyd LP 600 Alexander, which we were able to assess on a short trip, should be of interest. First of all, the narrower width of the interior compared to your Trabant was noticeable, which is definitely a disadvantage for cars in this category. The road holding and above all the maneuverability of the Alexander do not come close to that of the Trabant, even if the top speed is a little higher at a good 100 km/h, but this can only be assessed relatively when assessing the overall driving behavior. The acceleration values of the Alexander are also likely to be lower despite the 600 cm four-stroke engine (two-cylinder, air-cooled), which is explained by the fact that the two-stroke engine, which is controlled with a rotary valve, delivers a higher torque in the lower and middle speed range.
All in all, it can be said that our vehicle builders have taken another important step forward with the new small car, the Trabant. This modern, robust and economical small car with a wide range of possibilities for further development will find many satisfied friends both at home and abroad. He is another example of the effectiveness of the German Democratic Republic's nationally owned motor vehicle industry.