The Trabant’s long-forgotten Wankel-powered prototype comes back to life

A long-forgotten Trabant prototype with a Wankel engine is returning to public view in Zwickau. The unusually styled 602, preserved with its original body, will go on display at the August Horch Museum from October.

The hatchback stands out for its exceptionally long wheelbase. Its unusual drivetrain and body make it a particularly valuable survivor from the development work surrounding the Trabant brand.

The 602 provided the foundation for the later P 603 experimental series. That car had a much more modern shape but retained a Duroplast body. Engineers tested several engines in the series, including the four-cylinder unit from the Škoda 1000 MB as part of a planned East German-Czechoslovak project.

The joint socialist people's-car project continued, with interruptions, throughout the 1970s. The P 610 was eventually intended to replace the Trabant, but none of the experiments entered production. Buyers therefore continued to rely on the familiar 601 until 1990. The source suggests the P 603 might have succeeded, especially with a conventional four-stroke piston engine.