The German word Trabant, derived from the Middle High German drabant, means "satellite" or "companion". The car's name was inspired by the Soviet Sputnik satellite. ... Produced without major changes for nearly 30 years, the Trabant became the most common automobile in East Germany.

How many Trabants are still registered?

Trabant 601 (1964)

The car's moment in the spotlight came with the fall of the Berlin wall, as citizens of the DDR spilled over the newly open East-West border in their "Trabis." There are still some 33,000 Trabants roaming the streets of Germany today.

How much did Trabant cost?

Trabants cost about $8,600 new and were coveted for decades by East Germans. The demand evaporated last fall after Germany's unification.