The Trabant has made a remarkable advance last year when it comes to registered numbers in Germany. This is evident from an analysis of the German CAR.
The German automotive research institute CAR has delved into the figures of the Kraftfahrt Bundesamt and has found a remarkable trend. Last year the number of registered Trabants in Germany increased sharply. In the past ten years, roughly 3,000 copies were added to German roads, of which about 1,000 in 2020. That report Die Welt. The Trabant is therefore on the rise.
A total of 38,173 Trabants are now registered in Germany, according to CAR. Of course only a fraction of the number that ever drove around in the GDR, but still quite a lot. It may not be very relevant, but the body compares the number of ‘Trabi’s’ with that of a modern brand that has been on the rise in recent years; Tesla. There are currently 4,000 more Trabants registered in Germany than Teslas. Nevertheless, Tesla is expected to catch up on that lead this year.
The well-known East German two-stroke car has been a sought-after collector’s item for years, but that does not make the growing number of registrations any less striking. In many cases it probably concerns cars that have not been registered for a long time. Due to the pandemic last year, enthusiasts had time to complete the restoration project. Undoubtedly there are also imported copies. In Germany ‘Trabi tours’ are also popular. For example, in Berlin you can take a city tour in a rented Trabant. Such companies pull out Trabants from various corners and make them usable again.