Trabant 601
A light people’s car whose tough steel skeleton wore outer panels made from Duroplast composite.
1964 Trabant 601 S photographed in the United Kingdom. · Charlie (Flickr account “charlie cars”) · CC BY 2.0 Generic
Research pending
A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.
Joyride shows this gap instead of substituting an asking price, unsold bid or mismatched special vehicle.
More than a set of wheels.
The Trabant 601 entered production in 1964 at VEB Sachsenring in Zwickau. Underneath was a steel structure, while many outer panels used Duroplast, a hard composite made with phenolic resin and fibres. This page keeps to the original 23 PS launch specification; later 601s gained 26 PS and different weights.
Look a little closer.
The original test sheet listed a dry weight of only 585 kg—less than many modern car battery packs.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
Steel where it mattered, composite outside
The 601 was not a plastic car all the way through. Its main structure was steel, while Duroplast formed much of the outer skin. That saved scarce sheet steel and resisted rust on the panels themselves, although the hidden steel frame still needed protection.
Source: DDR Museum · Sachsenring Trabant P 601 ↗Simple machinery for everyday transport
The original 1964 road test describes independent suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, hydraulic brakes on all four wheels and a fully synchronized four-speed gearbox. The engine was basic, but the chassis was not just a collection of shortcuts.
Source: Kraftfahrzeugtechnik · March 1964 Trabant 601 test ↗Where these facts come from
- Kraftfahrzeugtechnik · March 1964 Trabant 601 test
- DDR Museum · Sachsenring Trabant P 601
- RAF Museum · Sachsenring Trabant
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 29, 2026.