For eleven years – until the border opened in 1989 – Trabant 601 S de Luxe remained the car the masses lusted after in the GDR. Production in Zwickau ended for good in 1990. No wonder that WIKING immortalised the “racing cardboard” from Zwickau early on and is now releasing a miniature of this endurance runner with subdued Alpine blue paintwork. It is hard to believe that the citizens of the GDR were expected to pay the Zwickau auto maker the whopping amount of 9,700 East German marks for the then priciest version of the 601 de Luxe since 1978 - not to mention the waiting period that extended to roughly ten years! Exercising automotive modesty was simply inescapable for the average citizen of the GDR. If they managed to acquire a Trabant model, the proud owners of this luxury version were treated to such special features as a narrow tray below the already Spartan instrument panel plus intermittent windscreen wipers and an emergency flasher system.

Alpine blue body, chassis in silver. Interior with steering wheel agate grey. Headlamps transparent, tail lights red transparent inserts. Radiator grille painted silver, indicators at the front imprinted orange. Windows with black window surrounds and front windscreen wipers likewise in black. Door handles in black, rear lettering “Trabant 601 S de Luxe” in black. Reflectors imprinted signal red, boot lock painted silver. Wheel rims in silver with wheel hubs and wheel nuts in black.