My interest in cars, classic cars to be exact has always leaned towards the unusual, or even
quirky. With curiosity and great interest I spotted a Wartburg 353 on the front cover of the
'Classic Car Weekly' on 29th April 2009.
In the cloudy dusty shelves of my mind, I thought the name Wartburg sounded familiar, yet
I couldn't ever remember seeing one before this article.
I had seen the 'Trabant', or rather a field full of them on Tv a few years previous,
when a local UK Council ordered the owner to move them, and remember hearing they had
a tiny two stroke engine. I thought little of it at the time, but this was the first introduction to
IFA vehicles for me and maybe subconsciously the start of an interest that would become a
passion.
The CCW article was pretty positive reading for the most part and my curiosity was further piqued,
when the article stated that the car's owner had three Wartburgs and wanted to sell one!
My classic car ownership up to this point, had been exclusively French. I'd owned a Citroen
DS, 2 x CX's, a 2CV, Visa and a pretty rare Peugeot 405 4x4 ( with hydraulic rear suspension).
I will always have a soft spot for French cars and their idiosyncrasies, but problems with complex
hydraulics of the CX and particularly the DS, made me yearn for something simpler that I could work
at myself , without having to consult expensive specialists.
One of the things I've always admired about French Classics is that they invariably have soft
suspensions that mask bad road surfaces probably better than anything else.
So when Ian Seabrook who wrote the CCW article, commented on the fact that the Wartburg
soaked up potholes and other road imperfections, better than the modern BMW he was driving,
I was very interested.
When I first saw the picture of the Wartburg 353, I immediately thought it might be a Peugeot,
the styling clearly looked French to me.
The paper provided an email address only for the vendor, and I sent off an email declaring my interest.
It was about a week or so later that I got a reply. The vendor had two
Wartburg 353 saloons, a red 1984 one with column change and the 1988 two tone grey and blue one that
was in the paper. The third car he had was a 1986, red 353 Tourist estate model.
He indicated that he might sell two out of the three cars.
Unfortunately I was told that someone had beaten me to it and had been given first refusal on
either the Grey/blue saloon or the Tourist, one of which he seemed certain of purchasing.
It turned out he bought neither and after some protracted emailing with the vendor, I did a deal
for the grey/blue saloon that I'd read about.
Now here's the thing, the vendor lived in Derbyshire and I live in Ireland, so couldn't just pop down the
motorway on spec for a viewing. I bought the car unseen, mainly based on the CCW feature.
I'd never bought a car this way before and almost backed out of it a couple of times, as I wasn't
entirely satisfied with the email correspondence. Whilst email is a great tool at times, written text
can be very ambiguous and one can easily get the wrong impression, or a different impression that
what is intended, which of course works both ways!
Anyway, I sent the vendor a holding deposit and my fears turned out to be unfounded as the car was
as good as I'd hoped it would be.
The vendor was decent enough to meet my thirteen year old son and I at East Midlands Airport and
bring us back to his place in Loughborough, Derbyshire.
He picked us up in his 353 Tourist, which was a top of the range model with fitted sunroof and an
olematic oil pump for automatic dispensing and mixing of petrol and two stroke oil.
The vendor explained that these oil pumps were only fitted to cars that were originally exported
to Belgium. The upholstery in this car was also of a higher quality that that of the standard models.
I was very impressed with the Tourist, particularly it's cavernous space, greater practicality, and
plusher interior. When I saw my saloon back at the Vendor's place, my initial feeling was that
I preferred the Tourist and might have plumped for it if the owner hadn't just transferred his personal
plates from the saloon I'd paid the deposit on, to the tourist ( and did not have the V5 back yet).
We had to drive to Liverpool for the boat to Dublin later that evening, so we took the saloon we'd
came for.
The vendor told me that the car was the best driver out of the three cars he owned, and I also
reckoned that he would surely have given Ian Seabrook the best car to test drive and to base
his report on.
The car had been driven to Germany and Belgium in recent years and I knew I was getting
a good car.
The car had been painted it's two tone colouring about six years previously, from it's original solid
grey colour and it still looked very smart.
You really get a sense of how dour and grim, life in the DDR could be when you see the bland
choice of original colours from the seventies onwards. This is in complete contast to the many
beautiful two tone schemes that prevailed in the fifties and sixties.
The car also had had it's original black bumpers changed for chrome ones, to give the car more
of a sixties look and had been very well maintained.
It had had all four wings replaced at some point and had a clutch replaced three years previously.
The three original coils had been replaced in favour of a single coil system and an electric fuel
pump had also been fitted.
The vendor recommended a fuel mixture of 50:1 petrol- 2 stroke oil, despite the fact it said
40:1 in the user manual provided. I certainly had no experience of two stroke cars before, but
had a bit of experience with two stroke bikes and chainsaws and always used a richer mix than
specified. I reckoned a little more oil was safer, as long as you didn't over do it.
So I ran the car on a mix of approximately 40:1, if not slightly richer and it always ran well
for me, free of excess belching or other over-oiling symptoms.
The car also came with a number of useful spares including front brake pads and a
timing belt.
The only thing I didn't like about the car, was that the original gear knob was missing
and had been replaced with an awful, shiny silver, plastic aftermarket one that I thought
was totally out of character with the car's interior.
Despite being a driver of considerable experience and a former taxi driver,
I'd never driven a Wartburg before and found it difficult at first, particularly the gearchange
when making clutchless changes. But these cars are hardy beasts and it forgave my crunching
changes with no ill effects.
After a while, I sussed out that you needed to listen for the engine revs to drop, before changing
up a gear, in order to effect a smooth change and maintain progress.
Once I'd mastered this, I started to enjoy the drive to Liverpool.
Wartburgs really offer a classic driving experience that harks back to a much earlier era
and give a lot of enjoyment. To get the most out of them, I think the best way to drive them is
similar to the way one would drive a diesel, accelerate hard, drop off the throttle,
change up and away again with a heavy right foot. These cars seem happier to
slog at low speeds in fourth, than changing down a gear as one would in a modern car.
We arrived safely in Liverpool, with a few hours to spare for our ferry crossing.
We were at a toll booth near Bootle, when the car behind me honked the horn.
I looked around and there was a Wartburg 1.3 saloon behind us.
The occupants, a couple in their late twenties I'd say, were smiling profusely and motioned us
to pull over, to see the car.
They were a very nice German couple, on a driving holiday across Europe and we chatted amiably
for a few minutes, whilst admiring each other's car's. I'd no camera but they took a picture of all
of us and the two cars together. It was a nice moment.
We arrived home the following morning, having driven over three hundred, trouble free miles
since picking the car up and only had a week before taking it to a classic car show
that I've been attending for years about an hour away from where we live.
I come from Belfast, originally, but moved to Eire some years ago.
The show is an outdoor affair and held in the grounds of Trim Castle, in County Meath, where
much of Mel Gibson's 'Braveheart' was filmed.
It really provides a gorgeous backdrop from which to display classic cars and the show
usually has around seven hundred cars in attendance, displayed spaciously within the grassy
slopes of the Castle grounds.
So, with the help of my son, Iain, we washed and valeted the car thoroughly inside and out
and restuck some loose carpeting in the boot and she was ready for the show!
Our Wartburg was the only one present, indeed it was the only IFA vehicle in attendance
and it got a lot of attention, almost overwhelmingly positive.
Quite a few people from Eastern block countries, particularly Polish and Latvian people
stopped to talk about the car and said that they'd grown up with Wartburgs and Trabants
in their countries, owned by their parents and knew many people who still drove them today.
They all spoke with great affection for the cars they'd known.
I met one elderly man who had been a Saab mechanic and was familiar with the older
two stroke, 841cc engine fitted to the Saab 95 from the mid fifties to mid sixties
This engine was made by DKW and was also the technology used by the IFA of which a wide
range of vehicles were based (including my own),
with many improvements and adjustments over the years.
Other people, who had never seen or heard of Wartburgs before, were simply amazed
that a two stroke car of such a size existed or was possible.
I really enjoyed the show and in particular having a car to show, of which there weren't dozens
of others in attendance, like the case of many other marques at the show.
In the weeks afterwards, I sought to make a few small improvements to what I now knew
was a very good and reliable car.
With the two-tone colour scheme and chrome hubcaps, I knew whitewall tyres would make
a fantastic addition to the car's overall appearance.
All four tyres were excellent, so I was able to purchase whitewall flaps that you simply
insert between tyre and rim and is a much cheaper way of attaining the same effect.
These, I picked up on ebay for about forty pounds.
I located a Wartburg parts specialist in Germany, with the hope of obtaining a genuine
replacement gear knob, but this proved to be unsuccessful.
I then trawled Ebay for the same and couldn't get one there either, so I searched through
dozens of web pages for a gear knob that would look authentic and importantly have the correct
gear ratio inscribed on it.
I ended up getting one made for a Volkswagen T25 transpoter van, that was the right colour, size and
ratio and wouldn't look out of place with the interior ambiance of the car.
It was brand new and a good choice and only cost a fiver.
Only downside was that the inner threading of the new one was much wider in diameter than
the gear stick.
I sorted this by managing to remove the inner threading core from the old aftermarket one and filing
it down sufficiently, until it fitted snugly into the new one.
It then screwed perfectly onto the gear stick, just like the aftermarket one had.
I changed the front brake pads and overhauled the rear drums, then had the whole underneath
of the car professionally sprayed with waxoyl.
Wartburgs are very easy to work on and some of this work wasn't necessary, but I enjoy
working at cars as a hobby and I like my cars to be as good as they can be.
For me, Classic car ownership is all about having something that is unusual and unique in some
way. Wartburgs, Trabants and all IFA vehicles possess these traits in spades.
In Particular, the two stroke engines are for me anyway, the best to buy as a two stroke car is
very different and the freewheel system is practical and a joy to use.
Sure, they're smoky and noisy, but that's part of the appeal and what makes them special.
One of the reasons that two stroke engines fell out of favour with other manufacturers, was their
inability to make two stroke engines that had the longevity and durability of four stroke units.
Perhaps the fact that the Communist regime doggedly resisted technological advances, this
enabled the East German's to perfect the two stroke engine to a new level, as they had no
other option.
I know from some research into Wartburgs that they wanted to abandon the two stroke
engine in 1978, in favour for a 1289cc four stroke Renault engine.
This car was the proposed Wartburg 1300, essentially the 353 with a new engine.
This venture was vetoed by the Government as were many progressive ideas proposed
by the IFA over many years, for many models.
Best fact about Wartburgs and Trabants ( from a classic car perspective) is that they used
old technology right up to 1989/1990, until four-stroke Volkswagen engines were used, so there
are still many good examples to be found and enjoyed.
Wartburgs and Trabants in the Uk are pretty thin on the ground of late and the best choice
of cars to buy, lies in Germany and other parts of East Europe.
In Particular, Poland has many IFA vehicles available at the moment at very low prices,
but it's a long drive back to the Uk and Ireland.
The four-stroke cars will also appeal to many as they're that bit more modern, but for me
they're more like an ordinary car (and part Volkswagen), without the appeal of the two stroke cars.
So you can buy a car only twenty or so years old that looks and drives like a classic
of a much older vintage. Isn't that pretty unique and worthwhile in itself?
Also, they're usually very reasonably priced (although prices are rising), compared
to other classics.
Modern cars are fine as everyday transport, but they all look the same nowadays and all
you see is masses of black plastic inside. Even French cars which used to be a little different
from the mainstream, have succumbed to banality and look and drive similar to the competition.
Unfortunately, the recession hit my business hard last year and I had to close it.
This prompted me to advertise my car for sale, which i did and it sold pretty quickly.
I believe it went to Switzerland.
I missed the car though and wished I hadn't sold it, but felt I had to at the time.
Owning the car, I developed an interest in East German history and was intrigued by the
Communist regime that existed there until the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989.
In January of this year, I visited Berlin for a few days, never having visited Germany before.
I did my research before I went and stayed in the Friedrichshain area, which appealed to
me as it been one of the most 'Eastern' districts of the former East Berlin.
This area is today one of the poorer parts of the city, but it still has masses of character
and is very different in personality and architecture to Western suburbs such as
Charlottenburg and the new Mitte.
Friedrichshain had some lovely architecture and wide leafy boulevards everywhere you
looked. It was also practically free of western franchises, like McDonalds and their ilk
that are ubiquitous almost everywhere nowadays.
In contrast, most of the restaurants in Friedrichshain were family owned, low key affairs
with great food and service, at low prices.
Whilst here, I tried 'Currywurst' for the first time and found it delicious.
It's basically a grilled Bratwurst sausage with the delicious sauce made from a
mixture of curry powder and ketchup. Very tasty and handy as a snack or impromptu
lunch as there are Currywurst stands and kiosks everywhere in Berlin, especially in
the train stations etc. At around 1.60 euro a pop, with a bread roll included, it's good value.
The traditionally Eastern parts of Berlin is much better value than the new western parts and
potential tourist traps like the 'new' Mitte, for everything, food & drink, accomodation and
shopping.
In one of the streets, adjacent to Frankfurter allee, had a shop dedicated to the
fast growing 'Ostalgie' trend which basically sells products and collectibles from the
former East Germany. The shop called 'Mondo's Arts' sold everything from nostalic t-shirts to
model Trabants, food items and mock telephones of vintage design.
Visible in all areas of East Berlin is the quaint and distinctive 'Ampelmanchenn' green and
red man symbols at pedestrian crossings.
Berlin is a huge city and the transport system there is vast and absolutely brilliant,
with typical German efficiency prevalent everywhere.
There's overland and underground trains, buses and a great Tram system, all of which
traverse the city. No matter what hour of the day or night, you will get to where you need to go
quickly and with no fuss.
You can get a day pass which gives you unlimited travel on all transport services, for only
6.50 euro which is great value for seeing the city.
The city in January was wrapped in a blanket of snow and whilst bitterly cold, gave the city
a magical air.
Despite the snow, footpath's and roads were always clear and life went on with no hiccups.
A day's snow in Ireland and the country is in turmoil!
In Friedrichshain, lies the East Side Gallery which has the best and longest stretch left
of the Berlin Wall. Many artists of international repute have painted some fantastic murals on
what's left of the wall. It was within walking distance to where I was staying and it was very
enjoyable walk which is adjacent to the Spree river.
Whilst there, I visited the former 'Stasi Prison' Hohenschoenhausen and got the guided tour
which was fascinating.
The Stasi secret Police, whose motto was 'To know everything' were probably worse than
the Gestapo that preceded them, in cruelty and their penchant for ruining people's lives.
In Communist times, this prison was largely a secret and the people who lived in the area
were almost exclusively Stasi employees. The prison and its surrounding streets did not
feature on any map and great lengths were taken to ensure it's secrecy.
There was no visitation here and prisoners would be moved to another prison to visit their
families.
When sentenced by a court, prisoners could be driven for hours around in circles, before
making the short distance to the Prison, so they thought they were being driven great
distances.
The prisoner transport vans were Barkas 1000 models and were disguised as delivery vans
to all outward appearances and of course the detainees were kept in darkness.
The prison had one of these vans exhibited in stunning condition, which had six individual
holding cells inside.
The Lichtenberg area where this prison is situated is probably the most Eastern part of the city, where
Soviet style concrete tower blocks of Flats are everywhere. This area today is one of
high unemployment and low rents.
This, like many other parts of East Berlin had graffiti everywhere you looked.
The film 'The lives of Others' released in 2007 and set in 1984 Berlin, shows many
scenes set in Hohenschonhausen Prison and is a great film which shows how the
Stasi operated and also has many IFA vehicles on show. These include Wartburg 353's
,Trabants, Barkas Vans and a Robur split screen truck.
HMV were selling this dvd recently for three pounds, worth buying if you haven't already
seen it.
I just finished reading a book, 'Alone in Berlin' by Hans Fallada, which tells story
set in the war years 1940-1945. The Berlin depicted under Hitler's dictatorship mirrors
very closely, that of East Berlin in the DDR, where suspicion and informants were
everywhere. The similarities really are striking and profound.
I also visited the ' Stasi' Museum which isn't that far away from the Prison, but it was
disappointing by comparison. All the exhibits are in German, but you can buy or rent
an English translation booklet, but it's pretty poor and I was disappointed in it.
I visited the excellent DDR museum, which is a short walk from Alexanderplatz train
station and whilst small in size, it's very enjoyable.
It's an interactive museum where you can see many aspects of how life was in the
former DDR. In this museum, they have a cracking Trabant 601 Deluxe on show, with
very good leather effect seats. You can sit in the car and turning the key starts a
simulated drive through a typical DDR town, complete with all the sights and sounds
created by a projector.
You can see the 'Lipsi' dance in operation which was designed to be an alternative
for the DDR's youth, to the capitalist evil which was Rock & Roll!
When you see it in operation, it's no wonder the youth of the day wanted Western
influences.
You can watch the football match where East Germany beat West Germany 1-0 and
find out about how nudist beaches were very popular in the DDR!
There is also some interesting ex-Stasi surveillance equipment on display, which looks
very crude and clunky compared to todays modern world of electronics.
This museum publishes an excellent English book, GDR-Guide which deals with all
aspects of how life was in Communist times.
The book tells the whole history and more interestingly, how life really was for East Germans
in an interesting and easy to read style.
The book provides a chapter on the Trabant and in this reveals some interesting statistics
for 1988.
In this year, there were 1.9 million Trabants on East German roads, 600,000 Wartburgs, approx
300,000 Lada's and the same number of Skoda's.
For most East German's, the Trabant was the only car that they could afford, which perhaps
explains the iconic status that the humble Trabi has in Germany today.
The waiting list for a new Trabant could be as much as sixteen years, so when people
attained one they invariably looked after it, which goes some distance in explaining how
the average lifespan of the Trabi at one time was twenty eight years.
If you could afford it, you drove a Wartburg or a car from another 'Socialist' Country.
The Volvo was seen by many East German's as the ultimate Western car to aspire to.
I find it ironic that Communist Countries always refer to themselves as Socialists, in spite of
their restrictive and stifling regimes with which they governed their own people.
So I've happily switched from French classics to East German ones.
They're cheaper to buy, easier to work on, just as much fun and even more unusual.
These cars have given my son and I something to look after together and enjoy taking to
shows for a day out. That's what Classic cars are all about.
