In 1966, in Zwickau, under strict secrecy, East German engineers assembled a car that had the potential to revolutionize the GDR industry. This was an experimental prototype of the Trabant, equipped with a KKM 400 rotary-piston engine, an extended wheelbase and a practical, large tailgate. Work on this project was carried out within the framework of joint research activities with West German engineers - an extremely rare example of technological cooperation on both sides of the Iron Curtain.
It seemed that the East German automotive industry had a real chance of a technological breakthrough. However, these ambitious plans were not destined to come true: the rotary Trabant remained a unique one-off, and all the advanced developments disappeared without a trace in the bureaucratic labyrinths of the GDR.
The technology behind this car relies on the Wankel engine – a specific rotary piston internal combustion engine developed by the German engineer Felix Wankel in the 1950s. Instead of traditional pistons working up and down, it uses a triangular rotor that rotates inside an oval housing.
For decades, nothing was heard about the experimental prototype. It was not until 2023 that the car was unexpectedly discovered. Restorers spent three years painstakingly reconstructing the car's appearance, using old black-and-white photographs, archive materials from Chemnitz, and eyewitness accounts. The end result exceeded expectations – today the prototype looks exactly as it did in 1966.
From October 1, 2026, the legendary Trabant with its rotary engine will take pride of place in a special exhibition at the “August Horch“ Museum in Zwickau. However, museum officials prefer not to specify whether the car is capable of driving itself, in order to keep the suspense and interest of visitors alive.