Trabant 601

VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau
Trabant 601S sedan in original condition (1990)
Trabant 601
Production period:	1964-1990
Class :	Small car
Body versions :	Limousine , station wagon , Kübelwagen
Engines:	Petrol engines : 0.6 liters (17-19 kW)
Length:	3555-3560 mm
Width:	1504-1510 mm
Height:	1437 mm
Wheelbase :	2020 mm
Empty weight :	610-650 kg
Previous model	Trabant 600
successor	Trabant 1.1

The Trabant 601 was the third and most popular model of the Trabant series manufactured in the GDR . It was built under the type designation P 601 from 1964 to 1990 at Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau , the two-stroke engine was produced in the Barkas factory .

With the Trabant 601 began a "big time of small steps", during which improvements were made to the Trabant on a regular basis, but the body and vehicle technology remained essentially unchanged. The concept became increasingly obsolete during its production and was no longer in demand even in socialist brother states by the 1980s at the latest. Efforts to bring the successor types 603 and 610 into series production were blocked by the political side. A license agreement with VW in 1984 finally led to the installation of a four-stroke engine in the form of the 1.1 , which, however, did not go into series production until 1990.

Development history

Presentation of the Trabant 601 in 1963 (the side stripes were not used in series)

The Trabant 601 (internal P 601) was not a new vehicle model, but the last development stage of the P-50 basic model for the time being :

“ The program of our vehicle industry provides for a step-by-step further development of the P 50, which is expressed in the fact that after the seating conditions were improved, the synchromesh was introduced, followed by the 600 cm³ engine and later on a body with improved space based on the basic structure of the P 50 will connect. Introducing these improvements at the same time, as it were as a new vehicle, would be wrong under the given conditions and economically unjustifiable. "

- Lothar Sachse, VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau, 1962

The outer shape of the body has been adapted to the trapezoid line, a then fashionable shape design . This also looked wider and flatter, so that the Trabant 601 was described in the GDR press as a vehicle with "modern design". There is a similarity with the Peugeot 404 and the Triumph Herald , the latter was repeatedly highlighted by the KFT in previous years. The large front and rear windows, the good all-round view and the increased headroom in the rear were also praised. The back seat was moved back slightly so that the legroom in the rear improved a bit. The trunk grew to a considerable capacity for this vehicle class of 420 liters (sedan), but with the narrower tailgate it was no longer as easy to access as with the 600. Outwardly striking was the introduction of a technically unnecessary large radiator grille to meet the needs of the To better accommodate customers. At the same time, the tight general conditions were addressed in the trade press, which had prevented a consistent further development of the body. Neither the floor pan, the built-in wheels nor the bulkhead section could be changed. In addition, even body parts should be used identically, such as the front fenders and headlights . The duroplastic paneling had to be retained. Even the overall dimensions of the vehicle were not allowed to change significantly. Thus the Trabant 601 was just an "old car in new packaging", which apart from the unchanged technology also had the disadvantages of its predecessor. In addition to the interior, which is quite cramped for families, this also included the high level of noise, which was perceived as particularly annoying in the Trabant due to the comparatively high frequencies. With the type 601, a more tolerable noise level was achieved by laying sound insulation mats in the engine and interior, but the problem was not eliminated. Apart from the introduction of a windscreen washer system and crank windows, nothing changed at first in terms of equipment. The engine still had an output of 17 kW (23 hp). Technical detail improvements included a centrifugal ignition adjustment and automatically adjusting brake shoes.

At the beginning of 1963 the Trabant 601 became VI in the club of youth and athletes . SED party congress presented to the public for the first time. Production started in January 1964 with the pilot series, on March 1, 1964 it was officially presented to the international public for the first time. Series production began in June 1964.

Facelift

Trabant 601 Universal (1980s)

In 1965 the combination model was introduced under the name “Universal” (type P 601 K), the version 601 H with automatic coupling system “ Hycomat ” (engine P61), as well as the types 601 S and from 1966 the 601 de Luxe, each with an improved one Furnishing. Also in 1966 the "Kübel" design was added for the army (type P 601 A) and for forest management (type P 601 F).

During its long construction period, the Trabant 601 was further developed many times, but only in detail. The most important changes were as follows: From 1967 duplex brakes were used on the front wheels. From 1969 the P63 engine (or P64 for Hycomat) with a maximum output of 19.1 kW (26 hp) was used. In 1974 the P65 engine (or P66 for Hycomat ) with needle bearing connecting rod bushings was introduced, which reduced the required oil / fuel ratio from 1:33 to 1:50. In 1980 a two-circuit braking system was used as standard. In 1984 the on-board electrical system was changed from 6 to 12 volts with a new three-phase alternator (500 W), and the two-stage carburettor 28 H 1-1 ( BVF ) with a pressure point in the accelerator pedal resulted in a reduction in fuel consumption of around 1 l / 100 km. At the same time, a fuel consumption indicator (KMVA) was introduced. From 1985 a transistor ignition system ESE-2H was used instead of the high-maintenance breaker ignition . In 1988, as part of the development of the Trabant 1.1, a coil-sprung rear axle was also introduced on the 601.

Market situation in the GDR

→ Main article : Availability of cars in the GDR

In the GDR about every second car (1976 47%) was a Trabant (here in Berlin, 1989)

Until 1990 there were no more innovations worth mentioning with the Trabant 601. Due to the lack of modernization, the production technology was not further developed, which over time led to heavy wear on the machine park and a constant work process. Nevertheless, the Trabant continued to be bought because there were hardly any alternatives in the small car class - the waiting time for a Trabant 601 in 1988 was fifteen years. The small car type Saporoshez , which was offered at the same time at times , met with much less interest and was consequently available within normal delivery times. As little comfort as the Trabant 601 offered, it nevertheless proved itself to be a well-thought-out vehicle with a high practical value that could be repaired with little effort in the event of a breakdown. The cheapest Trabant 601 version, the 601 Standard , cost 8,500 marks in 1985 . The price was set low; on the black market, however, new Trabants were traded for 20,000 marks without waiting. In 1988, around 1.9 million Trabants were privately registered in the GDR. At the political turning point in 1989, the Trabant became a symbol of both the fall of the Berlin Wall and the economic backwardness of the GDR and suddenly lost its appreciation.

Prototype and successor model

→ Main article : Trabant (passenger car) #prototypes

On December 30, 1966, VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau officially received the order to develop a successor to the Trabant 601. Under the direction of Werner Lang , the P 603 has now been developed as a potential 601 successor, of which various prototypes have been built, including a four-stroke engine from Škoda and a Wankel engine . The P 603 had a tubular space frame and, like the Trabant 601, a plastic body. There was no series production, possibly for reasons of economic policy. In 1968 the further development of the rotary engine was discontinued without success. Since it became clear that the GDR would not be able to develop a successor for the Trabant 601 on its own, a collaboration with Škoda was established in the early 1970s, but this was broken off in 1979 for financial reasons. Thereupon the GDR automobile industry acquired licenses for constant velocity universal joint shafts from Citroёn and the Volkswagen four-stroke engine EA111 ; Before the fall of the Wall, however, no Trabant was built with it. The Trabant 601 was eventually replaced by the Trabant 1.1 with the same body, but the start of production was criticized in advance. At the beginning of 1989 the decisions of the government stipulated that the Trabant 601 should be produced parallel to the Trabant 1.1 until 1994. The implementation of a new body for the Trabant was planned for 1995/96. With the political change , the situation changed abruptly, production of the 601 was stopped around the same time as monetary union in July 1990.

Executions

Trabant 601 S de Luxe from 1986 (original condition with chrome lamp rings as accessories)

• Standard sedan, special request, DeLuxe (until 1979), S DeLuxe (from 1978), each also as a Hycomat
• Universal Standard, special request, DeLuxe (until 1979), S DeLuxe (from 1978), each also as Hycomat, delivery van
• Kübel, Tramp (civil version of the Kübel intended for export from 1978)

The characteristics of the three equipment lines standard, special request (S) and de Luxe or S de Luxe changed continuously. The differences between the versions mainly affected the electrical equipment and the interior. The best-equipped version de Luxe or S de Luxe also stood out from the outside recognizable by chrome-plated bumpers. In the 1980s in particular, there were also various additional equipment packages for the respective versions.

gallery

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  Engine compartment of the Trabant 601

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  Trabant 601 bucket

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  Trabant 601 Tramp

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  Trabant 601 in rally use

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  Chrome-plated lamp rings and chrome-plated wheel arches were available as accessories, but not originally from the factory.

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  The color range consisted mainly of pastel colors, but strong colors were also available in the 1970s (here: beaver brown)

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  At the start of production, the shapes of the Trabant 601 were quite modern (here in Freiberg in 1964 ).

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  Hungary was an important importer of the Trabant (here in Veszprém in 1973 )

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  In addition to Klappfix and QEK Junior, the camping equipment of the Trabant 601 included the roof tent shown here.

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  Trabant 601 at Checkpoint Charlie , November 1989.

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  The fall of the wall is still symbolically associated with the Trabant 601.

technology

Vehicle description (as of 1988)

The Trabant is a two-axle vehicle with a self-supporting body and independent wheel suspension. It has a platform frame that is welded to a zinc-phosphated sheet steel frame . This frame is covered with duroplastic body parts made of phenolic resin reinforced with short cotton fibers ( linter ). In the Trabant plant, all duroplastic body parts were produced in presses and cut by hand with a band saw. Then they were connected to the steel frame by gluing, screwing and folding. The total mass of the duroplastic parts of a Trabant body is 32 kg. The Trabant was basically available as a two-door (sedan, Kübel) and three-door (universal).

The front axle of the Trabant has a transverse leaf spring, the front wheels are suspended from the transverse leaf spring at the top and from the wishbones at the bottom. They are driven by cardan shafts with a tripod inner joint. At the rear there is a pendulum axle ("inclined pendulum axle ") with rubber-mounted triangular rockers and transverse leaf springs; from April 1988, coil springs were used instead of leaf springs. Due to the stronger spring domes, the rear seat bench had to be moved further forward, which further restricted the knee space in the rear, which was already limited. Both axles are dampened with telescopic shock absorbers . Because of this suspension, the rear wheels in particular were inclined when the load was low and also when the load was almost full. It was therefore recommended to replace the wheels (including the spare wheel) every 5000 km according to a fixed scheme on the vehicle in order to achieve the most even tire wear possible. The Trabant has disc wheels with four-hole spacing on which rims of size 4J × 13H × J35-2 are mounted. The 13-inch standard tires are 5.2-13 or 145 SR 13. The brake system is a hydraulic dual-circuit brake with brake drums with a diameter of 200 mm. The Trabant's handbrake acts mechanically on the rear wheels. A rack and pinion steering is used as steering .

The transmission is a steering column-shifted four-speed transmission with freewheel in fourth gear. The power is transmitted from the engine to the gearbox via a dry single-plate clutch . The Trabant's P65 / P66 engine is an air-cooled two-cylinder two-stroke gasoline engine with an intake rotary valve . With a cylinder bore of 72 mm and a piston stroke of 73 mm, the engine has a total displacement of 594.5 cm ³ . It is installed in the Trabant at right angles to the direction of travel, has a crankshaft with three ball bearings and a needle bearing connecting rod, and weighs around 54 kg. It is lubricated by mixed lubrication and cooled by a V-belt driven axial fan. In order to roughly regulate the temperature of the sucked in air, the intake pipe could be turned 180 ° forwards and downwards in the cold season, in the direction of the warm engine environment and exhaust system. A 28 H1-1 horizontal flow carburetor prepares the mixture. It is ignited by spark plugs of the type M 14-225 , the electronic battery ignition system of the type EBZA-2 H serves as the ignition system . There is a manually operated choke cable for cold starts. The fuel tank is installed directly above the engine, the fuel enters the carburetor due to the force of gravity. The fuel tap is located on the bulkhead in the passenger's footwell. To switch the tap to “reserve” while driving, the driver has to bend down deeply in the area in front of the passenger seat, completely losing sight of the traffic situation for a few seconds.

The three-phase alternator (type 8042.421 / 6 ) of the Trabant is driven from the crankshaft via the V-belt. The 6-volt systems have an alternator with 220 W power and a lead-acid accumulator 6 V / 56 Ah. The energy storage device in 12-volt systems is a lead-acid accumulator with 12 V voltage and 38 Ah charge. In 6 V and 12 V systems, a push-pull starter with an output of 600 W serves as the starter. The H4 halogen headlights have a light exit diameter of 170 mm. In the 6 V version, Bilux lamps with 40/45 W were installed.

Test reports

The evaluation of the Trabant 601 in the GDR trade press ( KFT ) was already very cautious when it was published in 1964. The new body, laden with compromises, was seen as the result of insufficient numbers, so that the costs for the production machines were still not amortized . But this is a prerequisite for developing a completely new design. The shape of the Trabant now found was predicted not to withstand future technical developments over a long period of time. The very effective measures to reduce the interior noise, the crank windows, the improved heating performance and the modern exterior of the Trabant were praised. In terms of driving behavior and performance, hardly any changes were found compared to the Trabant 600 . The calculated average consumption was 8.2 l / 100 km.

Exhaust pollution and fuel consumption

Clearly visible exhaust plumes from Trabant, Wartburg and Barkas

The clearly visible and smellable hydrocarbons ( aerosols , secondary aerosols from aromatics as well as fresh gas losses including benzene ) are emitted about 30 times as much in the Trabant 601 as in a comparable four-stroke engine . Of the nitrogen oxides (NO _x ) of the Trabant emitted thanks to the lower combustion temperature just one tenth compared to a similarly small four-stroke engine without catalyst .In the years of political changes there have been numerous efforts to develop a catalytic converter for the Trabant six hundred and first Because of the uneconomical price and their technical immaturity, however, such two-stroke cats were rarely installed. Basically, measured by its engine power, the Trabant, like most vehicles with two-stroke engines, had a very high fuel consumption. Through various measures in the interests of environmental protection, it was possible to reduce this from 8 to 6.9 l / 100 km in the 1980s. Jan Tuček puts the fuel consumption of the Trabant 601 at 7 to 9 liters per 100 km. An exceptionally high level of exhaust gas pollution sometimes occurred when Trabant drivers neglected to close the manually operated choke or added too much oil to the fuel. Such habits, which were very widespread at the time, drove up emissions even further. After all, the inferior oils available in the GDR from Soviet imports or based on brown coal tar produced a particularly pungent exhaust odor.

Crash test

In 1990/91 there was a lot of debate about the safety of the Trabant, mainly based on West German politicians, which was possibly so unreasonable that it had to be taken out of service as soon as possible. Crash tests by the alliance finally provided clarity. The Trabant 601 does not deform more than a VW Polo I in a frontal collision and is in a good position even compared to the Golf II . The stability of the passenger cell complies with international regulations and not least results from the fact that the plastic parts splinter off in the event of an impact instead of being pressed into the steel passenger cell. However, this apparent advantage also has the disadvantage that the kinetic energy is less converted into deformation energy, so that it can act more directly on the occupants of the vehicle. Another weak point is the rigid steering column that penetrates far into the interior. This results in above-average head acceleration values ​​(over 100 g ). This makes headrests all the more important in the Trabant, but they were only part of the equipment from the mid-1980s. Furthermore, the two-door thermoset body (ignition temperature: 800 ° C) and the tank installed in the front pose an increased risk for and in the event of a vehicle fire.

Technical specifications

	Technical data 1964 to 1969		Technical data 1969 to 1975
	Trabant 601 sedan	Trabant 601 Universal	Trabant 601 sedan	Trabant 601 Universal
engine	Two-cylinder gasoline engine, two-stroke with inlet rotary valve, installed transversely		Two-cylinder gasoline engine P 65/66, two-stroke with inlet rotary valve, installed transversely
Displacement	594.5 cm 3
Bore × stroke	72 mm × 73 mm
Maximum power	23 hp (16.9 kW) at 3800 min -1		26 hp (19.1 kW) at 4200 min -1
Max. Torque	5.2 kgf · m (51 N · m) at 2700 to 2800 min -1		5.5 kp m (54 N m) at 3000 min −1
compression			7.6: 1
cooling	Air cooling (fan)
Transmission:	Four-speed gearbox with steering column shift, freewheel in fourth gear
lubrication	Mixture lubrication in a ratio of 1: 33		Mixture lubrication in a ratio of 1:33, from 1974: 1:50
Empty weight	620 kg	660 kg	620 kg	660 kg
Max. Permissible total weight	1000 kg	1040 kg	1000 kg	1040 kg
Dimensions L × W × H	3555 mm × 1505 mm × 1440 mm	3560 mm × 1510 mm × 1470 mm	3555 mm × 1504 mm × 1440 mm	3560 mm × 1510 mm × 1470 mm
Wheelbase:	2020 mm
Front / rear track	1206/1255 mm
Top speed	approx. 100 km / h
Fuel consumption	7–9 l / 100 km		approx. 8.5–9 l / 100 km
Tank capacity	26 l, of which approx. 4 l reserve

literature

• Gerhard Klausing: Trabant. Maintain - wait - repair . Delius Klasing, Bielefeld 2007, ISBN 978-3-7688-1917-6 (Original published as Ratgeber Trabant. Transpress, Berlin 1987.).
• Karl-Heinz Metzner, Werner Ungethüm: Trabant 601 (=  How do I help myself? ). Reprint of the 8th edited edition. Welz, Berlin 1998, ISBN 3-9804294-5-8 .
• Frank B. Olschewski: Trabant bought - now what? Useful tips for the Trabant 601 with 2-stroke engine . Böttger, Witzschdorf 2004, ISBN 3-937496-02-5 .
• Sachsenring (Hrsg.): Repair manual for passenger cars "Trabant 601" . Fachbuchverlag, Leipzig 1986, DNB  880865520 .
• Sachsenring (Ed.): Repair manual for further development of the "Trabant 601" passenger car . Fachbuchverlag, Leipzig, DNB  943204178 .

Web links

Commons : Trabant 601  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Test report Trabant 1.1 sedan: Motor vehicle technology 2/1990, pp. 49–51.
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Heiner Timmermann: The GDR in Europe: between isolation and opening. LIT Verlag, Münster 2005, ISBN 3-8258-8884-3 , p. 119 ff.
3. ↑ ^{a b} Trabant 601: How do I help myself? P. 271.
4. ^ Opinion on the article "Problems of design in motor vehicle construction in the GDR". In: Automotive Technology . 12/1962, p. 495.
5. ↑ ^{a b c d} Wolfgang Schröder: AWO, MZ, Trabant and Wartburg: motorcycle and car production in the GDR . Archer. 1995, ISBN 3-927485-13-6 , p. 86 ff.
6. ↑ ^{a b} Neue Berliner Illustrierte . Issues 1-25. Allgermeiner Deutscher Verlag, 1964, p. 599 ff.
7. ↑ Triumph Herald - a small car in sectional construction. In: Automotive Technology . 8/1959, pp. 331-332 and 9/1961, pp. 381-382.
8. ^ Trabant 601. In: Motor vehicle technology . 3/1964, pp. 88-93.
9. ↑ Trabant 601: How do I help myself? P. 270.
10. ↑ Improvements to the Trabant engine P 60. In: Motor vehicle technology . 7/1964, pp. 253-256.
11. ↑ Automatic brake shoe adjustment on the Trabant 601. In: Motor vehicle technology . 3/1964, pp. 93-94, 100.
12. ↑ See what power! In: Motor Vehicle Technology 3/1963, pp. 94–95.
13. ↑ Peter Schieferweiss: Born in the 60s: Our childhood, our youth ... where have they gone? : Everyday stories from East Germany. Herkules, 2008, ISBN 978-3-937924-71-7 , p. 12.
14. ↑ Neue Berliner Illustrierte. Issues 1-25. General German publisher. 1964, p. 102.
15. ^ Franz-Josef Heuser, Christian Hermann. German military history 1945–1970: exhibits. Military History Museum of the Bundeswehr in Dresden, 2004, p. 46.
16. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Matthias Röcke: The Trabant. Heel 1990, ISBN 3-89365-200-0 , p. 16 ff.
17. ↑ Neue Berliner Illustrierte. Issues 1-26. Allgermeiner Deutscher Verlag, 1969, p. 5 ff.
18. ↑ Chamber of Technology (Ed.): The technology. Volume 29, VEB Verlag Technik, Berlin 1974, p. 600 ff.
19. ↑ Trabant 601: How do I help myself? P. 86.
20. ^ Arnold Freiburg: Crime in the GDR: On the phenomenology of deviant behavior in the socialist German state . Springer-Verlag, 2013, ISBN 978-3-322-88220-2 , p. 132 ( google.at [accessed on July 12, 2020]).
21. ^ ^{A b} Arnd Jürgen Zschiesche, Oliver Errichiello: The secret of success in the East: Survival strategies of the best brands - and what managers can learn from them. Springer, 2009, ISBN 978-3-8349-8294-0 , pp. 74 ff.
22. ↑ ^{a b} Christoph Klessmann, Peter Lautzas (ed.): Partition and integration: the double German post-war history as a scientific and didactic problem. (= Politics and Education series. Volume 41). Wochenschau, 2006, ISSN  1435-7526 , p. 204.
23. ↑ Price in January 1985 (including one year liability insurance) according to Price table, reproduced in: Fluter (magazine of the Federal Agency for Civic Education ), No. 30, p. 21.
24. ↑ Mirko Drotschmann: Crazy story: absurd, funny and unbelievable from the past. Riva, 2016, ISBN 978-3-86413-828-7 , section 10/35.
25. ^ Joe Moran: Reading the Everyday . Routledge, 2005, ISBN 1-134-37215-9 , Chapter 6.
26. ↑ Manuell Schramm: Consumption and regional identity in Saxony 1880–2000: the regionalization of consumer goods in the field of tension between nationalization and globalization. Franz Steiner Verlag, 2002, ISBN 3-515-08169-0 , p. 267.
27. ^ Peter Kirchberg: Plastics, sheet metal and planned economy. 1st edition. Nicolai-Verlag, Berlin 2000, ISBN 3-87584-027-5 , p. 716.
28. ↑ Susanne Paschen: The Trabant: Planned Economy on Wheels. Mundus-Verlag, Essen 1990 (VHS video on YouTube)
29. ↑ Repair manual Trabant 601. P. 47.
30. ↑ Repair manual Trabant 601. P. 52.
31. ↑ Author?: I drive a Trabant. Transpress- Verlag (?)
32. ↑ ^{a b c} Sachsenring (Ed.): Operating instructions for the Trabant 601 passenger car . Fachbuchverlag, Leipzig, DNB  210589051 . Pp. 62-66.
33. ↑ Motor vehicle technology rated “Trabant 601”. In: Automotive Technology . 4/1964, pp. 144-147.
34. ↑ Andreas Burkert: The last chance for the two-stroke engine. Springer Nature , May 27, 2015, accessed June 11, 2019 . 
35. ↑ KFT automotive technology. Issue 2/1990, pp. 46–47.
36. ↑ KFT automotive technology. Issue 4/1991, p. 51.
37. ↑ KFT automotive technology. Issue 4/1990, pp. 116-117.
38. ↑ German road traffic . Issue 12/1984
39. ↑ ^{a b c} Jan Tuček: Auta východního bloku. Grada Publishing as, 2009, ISBN 978-80-247-2585-7 , p. 274.
40. ↑ KFT automotive technology. Issue 1/1991, pp. 40-41.
41. ↑ Two worlds in terms of security , on autobild.de, accessed on April 10, 2017.
42. ↑ KFT automotive technology. Issue 1/1991, pp. 40-41.
43. ↑ Chamber of Technology (Ed.): The technology. Volume 19. Verlag Technik. Berlin. 1964, p. 204.
44. ↑ ^{a b c d e} automodelle , catalog 1970/71, issue No. 14/70, Vereinigte Motorverlage, Stuttgart, p. 37.
45. ↑ ^{a b} Die Auto-Modelle 1967/68 , issue No. 11/67, Vereinigte Motor-Verlage, Stuttgart, p. 25.