East Germany's noisy little survivor

WITH its boxy design, cramped interior and notorious clouds of blue smoke billowing from its exhaust, the Trabant is often referred to as the worst car ever made.

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But somehow the plucky East German vehicle has refused to die out, with a dedicated group of enthusiasts still devoted to keeping refurbished models on the road.

As Germany prepares to celebrate 35 years of reunification on Friday, the number of Trabis on the streets is actually on the rise as the old rattletraps gain a new legion of fans.

There are around 40 800 so-called Trabis registered in Germany today, according to the KBA federal transport authority - compared with about 33 000 ten years ago.

Glenn Kuschan, 58, counts several Trabant owners among the customers at his car repair shop south of Berlin.

They include “all sorts”, Kuschan told AFP, from “older people who grew up with (Trabis) to young people who really want an original vehicle”.