By Classic Yorkshire contributor, Tony Lofthouse
There has always been a mystique about Eastern-bloc cars from the 60s and 70s – think the likes of Trabant, and Skoda and Lada models.
In the 70s and 80s many became the butt of comedians jokes. But, some brave drivers would buy one of these State-made motors – sometimes going to great lengths to get one.
Here are five hits and misses from Eastern Europe that I can remember. You might have other memorable examples that you recall!
Trabant 601
One of the most famous Eastern Bloc cars was the Trabant 601, which debuted in 1964. The ‘Trabi’, as it was nicknamed, was only expected to run until the 70s but survived until 1990.
It came with a body made of Duroplast – a form of durable plastic – and was powered by a two-stroke two-cylinder engine. Its popularity in East Germany would nose drive with the fall of the Communist state in 1989. Within weeks thousands of Trabis were abandoned as people headed over to Western Germany and more modern motors.
Wartburg 353
Another East German ‘classic’ from the 60s was the Wartburg 353, also known as the ‘Wartburg Knight’.
This 1-litre distinctly boxy-looking model would have some success selling overseas with 20,000 right-hand-drive examples making it to the UK between 1968 and 1976. The car started out as a saloon only, but estate and pick-up versions followed.
Skoda 110R
One of the more interesting early Skodas was the 110R coupe, based on the 110 saloon and powered by a 1107cc engine.
Between 1970 and 1980, 57,000 examples were made. The 110R would also spawn a racing version, the 130RS, which would achieve some notable motorsport success including the manufacturers’ title in the 1981 European Touring Car Championships.
Lada 1200
By the early 70s, the Russian-made Lada 1200 was an affordable option available in European markets and was given more buyer acceptance as a ‘spin-off’ from the Fiat 124.
The compact Lada made UK shores in 1974 in both saloon and estate forms and ran for nine years until the arrival of the Riva range.
Tatra 613
Luxury motoring in the East was quite rare, but in 1974 Czech manufacturers Tatra brought us a handcrafted rear-wheel-drive car, styled by Vignale of Italy.
The Tatra 613 was powered by a 3.5 litre air-cooled V8 engine and was widely used by Government leaders and other elite figures. Later, fuel injection versions were introduced and production ran until 1996.
Looking back these Eastern European cars certainly brought us engineering driven design (over style) at affordable prices and for me they have their rightful place in motoring heritage.