If Trabant was a brainchild of Ferdinand Porsche.
- Vilner
- Dec 3, 2023
- 2 min read
Vilner Garage’s interpretation
“Everyone born before the 1990s can identify those lines immediately”, says Atanas Vilner. “The Trabant. It’s so much more than a cheap form of transport. It’s a symbol of an era of separation, which marked the present and the future of several generations”.
This car was often referred as the East Germany’s VW Beetle. And this one is one of the last ever to roll out of the production line. It looks like the 601, but the 2-stroke engine has been replaced with a 1.1-litre VW Polo MkI machine with 4-speed manual.
This ‘1.1’ looked like the ‘601’. Until Vilner Garage’s intervention. “We’ve created an interior like no other. The checkered theme is both retro and nostalgic, but the whole cabin has been reworked using the latest methods and materials,” says Vilner.
Inside. It’s all wrapped in textile and double leather. The latter is made from two layers with soft lining. This combination makes it more of a 3D and it’s pleasing on touch as it is for the eyes. The seats are covered in ‘Ivory Soft’ leather/checkered textile combo, but the headrests are left original. In front of the driver and passenger: the dash is also wrapped in leather/textile, but the former is ‘Charcoal Black‘.
Momo steering wheel inside. It’s also leather wrapped and stitched together by contrast strings. You can see a ‘21’ badge in the middle. “We’ve swapped all the ‘Sachsenring Karosseriemodule’ logos with owner’s favorite number,” Vilner explains. “You can find it on the B-pillars and on the doors outside, as well on the roof and the rims.” Inside the ceiling is all checkered textile as the gearlever cuff. The radio? It may look old school but it’s actually a modern unit.
Outside. Familiar look, but with modern accents. Like the LED headlights for example. They have a DRL function which can duplicate the turn signals. Every single panel has been refurbished and the roof is also painted with ‘21’ graphics. The same can be found on the doors and even on the ‘textile’ wheels.
The idea of reimagining a Trabant through the vision of Ferdinand Porsche really struck me, because it shows how creativity can completely reshape something we think of as ordinary. It’s fascinating to see how innovation changes perspectives, whether in car design or in other areas of life. For me, it’s one of the reasons I value approaches that combine tradition with modern solutions. I often think about this in the context of education and therapy, where new tools open fresh possibilities. That’s why I appreciate platforms like logopedkab, where professional guidance meets innovative ways of supporting communication and development.