When communism began to disintegrate in November 1989, thousands of East German citizens headed west in their Trabant vehicles. First manufactured in 1957, these small cars subsequently inspired many a mean joke, derided for their poor quality and an engine that produced a very smoky exhaust. But despite being a dreadful automobile, quite possibly the worst ever produced on a mass scale, the Trabant holds an important place in history. As the Berlin Wall fell, the 'Trabi' gained cult status as a symbol of not just the failings of a communist system, but the freedom enjoyed by a long-suppressed population.
Today, the Trabi remains an iconic vehicle loved by many. And its story is worth retelling all these years later. Click through the following gallery and learn more about the automobile once described as a "spark plug with a roof."