Trabant - Lost and Found

[Amccombs3]

About 20 years ago, I picked up some postcard models while on a business trip to Germany. Last Wednesday evening, while looking through a seldom-opened desk drawer, I was surprised to find part of a Trabant, all scored and cut out and ready for glue. It was intact, which was pretty unlikely considering the delicacy of the tiny model. So I took it upstairs to the workbench and started gluing. It went slowly since the coated postcard paper was kind of reluctant to stick. After a while it occurred to me that it might be good to see if I still had the other parts. Back to the desk drawer, and wondrous to behold, there they were (both of them), also in perfect condition. So, after a couple of more evenings, here it is, all 3 pieces and 3 inches of it. Sorry about the crummy photos; I think I need a different camera. Anyhow, I still have the other two models I bought, a Messerschmitt "bubble car" and an Isetta, in my stash. The models come from P.A.R.C. and they're still around at www.parc.de with quite a few more simple car models as well as other car ephemera. The little guy seems to be happy to be completed after all this time!

Anne

[whulsey]

Micro model of a micro car, nice job.

[modelcars39_narod_ru]

Delicate work!
There were published cardkits of numerous Trabant variations to build. Now high-resolution scans of them (in common 1:24 scale) are available in the web.

[Cami]

It's cute, I like it! The front end look similar to '55 Chevrolet.

Cami

[kingjason14]

Wasn't the Trabant body made from cotton, resin and industrial waste?

[modelcars39_narod_ru]

Originally Posted by kingjason14

Wasn't the Trabant body made from cotton, resin and industrial waste?

That's right, the body panels material, named "duroplast", was produced from phenol formaldehyde resin and cotton waste.

[Diderick A. den Bakker]

Formerly East German publisher Index
has a very nice series of Trabants etc.