1965 Trabant 601 deluxe
Description
If you've found your way to this listing, I assume you know what you're looking at. If not, google "Trabant 601" to learn about this fascinating vehicle. Tom Hanks and U2's Bono are just a few of the celebrities who have owned these interesting and unique cars.
I've owned (and still own!) a lot of old cars, but it was always on my collector car bucket list to own a Trabant 601, manufactured by the Sachsenring company in Zwickau, East Germany. The vehicle always intrigued me as a piece of communist history, as a "common man's car," and as a symbol of the fall of the Berlin Wall (many East Germans drove their Trabants through the checkpoint and on to freedom in 1989). Over 3 million were made, but few are left, especially in the United States and especially in this condition. The real reason I got the car was to put it back on the road and to preserve its place in automotive history. Satisfied that I have put it back on the road in fine form, I am looking to move on to another project. So, here's your chance to own it!
I have spent many dollars and man-hours on this car. When I got it, it was not running, had 3 flat tires, a tattered, old interior and a bonnet that was not attached to the body! It definitely needed to be rescued and put back on the road. With much-appreciated help from a Trabant specialist shop in Nashville, TN, the car is now just about perfect.
To that end, this is what I have done to the vehicle (all NOS parts sourced from ldm-tuning in Plauen, Germany):
- NO RUST ANYWHERE. Not "some," not "a little," not "surface" -- NONE.
- New Kumho Solus radial tires (nationwide transferable lifetime balancing / rotation through Discount Tire).
- ALL NEW BRAKES (re-built master cylinder, NOS fluid reservoir, NOS hubs, NOS wheel cylinders).
- New upholstery front and rear, professionally installed. Biscuit tweed over tan vinyl. Brand new, no rips, tears, spots or stains.
- NOS front and rear rubber floor mats, manufactured in Leipzig, Germany.
- New front and rear carpet with Trabant logo.
- NOS rear-view mirror.
- New Duracell 6V battery (purchased 2/16 at Batteries Plus).
- All wheels repainted.
- New 6V bulbs throughout.
- Rebuilt generator.
- Rebuilt carburetor.
- NOS fuel tank.
- NOS fuel tank cap.
- New fuel pet-cock valve.
- New 4-position exhaust assembly.
- NOS voltage regulator.
- NOS windshield washer dash controls.
- NOS lug nut covers.
- NOS hub caps with Sachsenring logo.
- NOS front and rear mudflaps with Trabant logo (not yet installed, never opened and still in plastic wrap).
- New spark plugs (from Germany) and NOS spark plug wires (wires not yet installed).
- NOS choke cable.
- NOS throttle cable.
- NOS brake and clutch pedal pads.
- New windshield washer fluid tubes.
- NOS steering wheel.
- NOS turn indicator switch.
- Re-chromed front headlight bezels, mirror finish absolutely like new!
- NOS bonnet hardware.
- Tool kit (super cool - every tool stamped "Made in USSR").
- German / English repair manual. I have made a Table of Contents and placed the materials in a 3-ring binder.
This is probably one of the best Trabants in the US. Everything on this car works except for the horn(you can buy a new horn on the web for less than $20.00). Simply pull the choke, turn the key, and it starts right up and goes down the road. All lights work, and even the speedometer / odometer work! This car has some very rare options, including the circular speedometer, the window vents and the wiper pressure blades. There are some scratches on the hood and fender-wells (see photos). It looks like the fenders got a little scratched in the container on the way over...
Car also comes with original keys, jack and Pneumant spare tire (this is the original spare tire brand from Germany, and is still stamped "Made in GDR" (German Democratic Republic). The car even comes with the original leather spare tire tie-down and plastic fuel level stick! The seatbelts say "Made in USSR." A large supply of spare parts will also go to the new owner, including 2 spare carburetors, spare NOS rear-view mirror (never opened, still in GDR box), spare side-view mirror, and spare generator. Glass is in great shape, but there is slight wiper abrasion on the windscreen (see photos). Haven't tried to polish it out.
Clear Georgia title. The VIN is 1024107 (eBay does not recognize the European VIN's).
Vehicle is located in Powder Springs, GA, 10 miles off I-75 exit 267. Seller will assist buyer in shipping in any way possible, at buyer's expense.
TRADES: interested in other micro-cars and Willys flat-fenders ONLY.
If you are interested in viewing the car before bidding, let me know and I will arrange it. You will not be disappointed.
Reserve will not be revealed, but if you are interested, contact me by phone or text at SEVEN -7-oh, three-SIX-5-0-four-EIGHT-two and make an offer....the worst I can do is say no! Seller reserves the right to end the auction early. No warranties express or implied. Ask your wife / girlfriend / mother BEFORE bidding, as I expect the winning bidder to follow through.
This car gets twice the attention of any of my other cars. It really seems to put a smile on everybody's face. I can't go anywhere without someone asking me about it. One young lady recently came up to me at a gas station and said that she was from Bulgaria and learned to drive on the Trabant, and that her father bought one brand new. She brought her daughter over to show her the car. That was pretty special.
I have been on eBay since the beginning (member since 1998) and I've sold cars, trucks, boats and trailers here before. Buy with confidence, 100% feedback rating.
Thanks for looking. Jason
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