Trabant

Early 1958 the Trabant P50 was introduced. It was a relatively advanced car with front wheel drive, unitary construction and independent suspension. The Trabant's greatest shortcoming was its engine. Budgetary constraints and raw-materials shortages mandated an outdated but inexpensive two-stroke engine which produced a very smoky exhaust and was a significant source of air pollution. Produced without major changes for more than 30 years, the Trabant became the most common automobile in East Germany. Manufactured by a state monopoly, acquiring a Trabant took about ten years. The free market price for a second-hand one was more than twice the price of a new one. The Trabant had a steel frame, with the roof, boot lid, bonnet, wings and doors made of duroplast, a hard plastic made from recycled cotton waste from the Soviet Union and phenol resins from the East German dye industry. The Trabant's build quality was poor, reliability was terrible and it was loud, slow, and poorly designed. 

The updated 601 was introduced in 1964. It was essentially a facelift of the 600, with a different front fascia, bonnet, roof and rear. The model remained nearly unchanged until the end of its production except for the addition of 12V electricity, rear coil springs and an updated dashboard for later models.