similar in concept to the VW Beetle, Trabants were designed in the post-WWII era in East Germany as a car for the average person. They were the only car manufactured and available for East German citizens to buy during the Soviet era.

Unsual elements included a plastic body, 2-stroke 2-cyl cooled engine, front wheel drive. they were a simple design focused on ease to manufacture and low cost. Little changed from the 1950s until 1991 when manufacture ended. The last of the 2-stroke engine models in 1989 had performance to accelerate from zero to its top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) in 21 seconds.

The German word Trabant, derived from Middle High German drabant, means 'satellite' or 'companion'. The car's name was inspired by the Soviet Sputnik satellite.