The Wartburg was a
car marque
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
known for its
East German
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
manufactured models, but has its origins dating to 1898. The name derives from
Wartburg Castle
The Wartburg () is a castle originally built in the Middle Ages. It is situated on a precipice of to the southwest of and overlooking the town of Eisenach, in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It was the home of St. Elisabeth of Hungary, the p ...
on one of the hills overlooking the town of
Eisenach
Eisenach () is a town in Thuringia, Germany with 42,000 inhabitants, located west of Erfurt, southeast of Kassel and northeast of Frankfurt. It is the main urban centre of western Thuringia and bordering northeastern Hessian regions, situat ...
where the cars were made. From the 1950s, Wartburgs were a three-
cylinder
A cylinder (from ) has traditionally been a three-dimensional solid, one of the most basic of curvilinear geometric shapes. In elementary geometry, it is considered a prism with a circle as its base.
A cylinder may also be defined as an infin ...
two-stroke engine
A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a power cycle with two strokes (up and down movements) of the piston during one power cycle, this power cycle being completed in one revolution of t ...
with only seven major moving parts (three
piston
A piston is a component of reciprocating engines, reciprocating pumps, gas compressors, hydraulic cylinders and pneumatic cylinders, among other similar mechanisms. It is the moving component that is contained by a cylinder and is made gas-tig ...
s, three
connecting rod
A connecting rod, also called a 'con rod', is the part of a piston engine which connects the piston to the crankshaft. Together with the crank, the connecting rod converts the reciprocating motion of the piston into the rotation of the cranksh ...
s and one
crankshaft
A crankshaft is a mechanical component used in a piston engine to convert the reciprocating motion into rotational motion. The crankshaft is a rotating shaft containing one or more crankpins, that are driven by the pistons via the connecting ...
). Production ended in April 1991, and the factory was acquired by
Opel
Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Grou ...
.
History
First usage of name
The marque dates back to 1898 when a car made by
Automobilwerk Eisenach
The Automobilwerk Eisenach (AWE) was an automobile manufacturer in Eisenach, Germany.
History
Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach
Heinrich Ehrhardt founded the Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach (FFE) in Eisenach on 3 December 1896 as a stock company. Initi ...
was named the Wartburgwagen. It consisted of a two-seating cane chair, four mudguards, two headlamps, and a two-cylinder, 765-cc engine. Its top speed was . The name was dropped in 1904 when the company changed hands but re-appeared briefly in the early 1930s on the
BMW 3/15 DA-3 Wartburg, which was
BMW's first
sports car
A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...
.
[BMW 3/15 PS, 315/1 and 319/1 - early roadsters][BMW Motorsport - BMW 3/15]
Main usage of name
The name was revived in 1956 by
VEB Automobilwerk Eisenach
The Automobilwerk Eisenach (AWE) was an automobile manufacturer in Eisenach, Germany.
History
Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach
Heinrich Ehrhardt founded the Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach (FFE) in Eisenach on 3 December 1896 as a stock company. Init ...
and given to an updated version of their
IFA
IFA or Ifa may refer to:
Organisations
Economics
* Independent financial adviser, a type of financial services professional in the UK
* Index Fund Advisors
* Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, representing actuaries in the UK
* Institute of Ac ...
F9 car which had been in production since 1950. The new car had a more powerful version of the three-cylinder two-stroke engine driving the front wheels and a completely new body. By this time, Germany had been divided into two countries (the West and the East) and the Wartburg factory was in the
communist East (GDR).
Exports to
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
began in 1958, and by the early 1960s the car was exported to other countries, including the United Kingdom and United States. Right hand drive models were first manufactured in 1963 and exported to
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
, with British buyers being introduced to the car in 1964. However, just 550 examples (450 saloons and 100 estates) were sold in the UK. These were two-tone models sold at the same price as a basic British
Mini
The Mini is a small, two-door, four-seat car, developed as ADO15, and produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors, from 1959 through 2000. Minus a brief hiatus, original Minis were built for four decades and sold during ...
, appealing mostly to older people.
The
311 model was manufactured in a number of variations, including
pickup,
estate, and two-seater
roadster. A
convertible
A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers.
A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...
was advertised in the GDR in 1957 but its production never exceeded 350 units.
The engine was enlarged to 992 cc in 1962 and a completely new body was manufactured after 1966. This version, the
353, was sold as the Wartburg Knight in several countries, including the UK, where the estate model was sold as the Tourist. It remained on sale until 1976, by which time nearly 20,000 had been sold. This marked the end of right-hand drive Wartburgs, but left-hand drive versions continued to be imported to the UK and at least one model was converted to right-hand drive.
Also, in 1966, the gearbox gained
synchromesh
A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission system, where gear changes ...
on all speeds and was designed to
freewheel
Freewheel mechanism
In mechanical or automotive engineering, a freewheel or overrunning clutch is a device in a transmission that disengages the driveshaft from the driven shaft when the driven shaft rotates faster than the driveshaft. An ...
as a
fuel efficiency
Fuel efficiency is a form of thermal efficiency, meaning the ratio of effort to result of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier (fuel) into kinetic energy or work. Overall fuel efficiency may vary per device, wh ...
and engine protection measure, which meant that unless the freewheel feature was disabled by a lever beneath the steering column, the car did not benefit from
engine braking
Engine braking occurs when the retarding forces within an engine are used to slow down a motor vehicle, as opposed to using additional external braking mechanisms such as friction brakes or magnetic brakes.
The term is often confused with seve ...
. Because the engine was a two stroke unit, it relied on the passage of the petrol mixture (
two-stroke oil
Two-stroke oil (also referred to as two-cycle oil, 2-cycle oil, 2T oil, or 2-stroke oil) is a special type of motor oil intended for use in crankcase compression two-stroke engines, typical of small gasoline-powered engines.
Use
Unlike a four- ...
and petrol, at a ratio of 1:50) to
lubricate the engine. With the freewheel device disengaged, the engine could be starved of lubricant and seize on long down-hill runs unless the throttle was opened briefly from time to time. Nevertheless, disengaging the freewheel device was recommended to give engine braking in snowy or icy conditions.
There are four editions of Wartburg 353:
:Wartburg 353 from 1966
:Wartburg 353W from 1975
:Wartburg 353W from 1983
:Wartburg 353S from 1985
There are three models of Wartburg 353 - Limousine (sedan), Tourist (combi) and Trans (pickup). The 353W modification had a new, round-shaped dashboard and black-coloured grille. It was also fitted with disc brakes on the front axle. The 353S modification featured new rectangular headlights integrated into the grille of a new shape. In the De Luxe version you can see electronic ignition, 5-speed gearbox, front and back fog lights, alarm system and central lock door. Usually this model can reach around 150-155 km/h. Moreover, the radiator was moved from behind the engine (353, 353W) to the classic position behind the grille.
The engine of the car was with (depending on the year of production and the carburettor type). Fuel economy was barely acceptable for run-about driving. The offer of
Volkswagen
Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German Automotive industry, motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a ...
to move a surplus engine assembly line to the GDR, to be paid off by manufacture, was accepted by the government on account of fuel economy. In 1988, the new model
Wartburg 1.3
The Wartburg 1.3 is a automobile, car which was produced by Automobilwerk Eisenach between October 1988 and April 1991. The car was an updated version of the Wartburg 353, with a 1.3-litre, Four-stroke engine, four-stroke, four-cylinder engine as ...
therefore replaced the old model 353S, featuring the reliable though bulky 4-stroke engine from the
Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf () is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across eight generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates ...
. Being larger than the compact 2-stroke unit, this needed considerable reconstruction of the engine compartment.
Demise
The VW engine gave 64 horsepower. The new Wartburg was short-lived, its end being sealed by
German reunification
German reunification (german: link=no, Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) was the process of re-establishing Germany as a united and fully sovereign state, which took place between 2 May 1989 and 15 March 1991. The day of 3 October 1990 when the Ge ...
; production was inefficient and could not compete with West-German manufacturers. Production ended in April 1991, and the factory was acquired by
Opel
Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Grou ...
.
There are still some cars in a roadworthy condition, and Wartburg owners' clubs exist throughout Europe. Some Wartburgs are still used as
rally
Rally or rallye may refer to:
Gatherings
* Demonstration (political), a political rally, a political demonstration of support or protest, march, or parade
* Pep rally, an event held at a United States school or college sporting event
Sport ...
cars.
Flickr: Wartburg Rally Car
/ref>
Derivatives
The Melkus RS 1000
Melkus RS 1000 is a sports car produced by Melkus. It is powered by a tuned, mid-mounted 3-cylinder 2-stroke 992 cm3 engine, similar to the one in the Wartburg 353, and features gull-wing doors. 101 cars were made between 1969 and 197 ...
used a mid-mounted three-cylinder two-stroke engine from the Wartburg 353.
Models
*311 311 may refer to:
* 311 (number), a natural number
* AD 311, a year of the Julian calendar, in the fourth century AD
* 311 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar
* 311 (band), an American band
** ''311'' (album), band 311's self-titled album
...
, 1956–65
* 313 (Roadster), 1957–60
* 312, 1965–67
* 353 (Knight), 1965–89
* 1.3, 1988–91
Gallery
File:Wartburg311.jpg, Wartburg 311
The Wartburg 311 was a car produced by East Germany, East German car manufacturer Automobilwerk Eisenach, VEB Automobilwerk Eisenach from 1956 to 1965. The 311 model was manufactured in a number of variations, including pickup, sedan, limousine, c ...
: in production between 1956 and 1965
File:Wartburg-313-1-Sport-Coupe.jpg, Wartburg 313 Sportcoupé - with hardtop
A hardtop is a rigid form of automobile roof, which for modern cars is typically constructed from metal. A hardtop roof can be either fixed (i.e. not removable), Convertible#Detachable hardtop, detachable for separate storing or retractable ha ...
as roadster: in production between 1957 and 1960
File:Wartburg 353 - 2 .jpg, Wartburg 353
The Wartburg 353, known in some export markets as the Wartburg Knight, is a medium-sized family car, produced by the East German car manufacturer AWE for their Wartburg brand. It was the successor of the Wartburg 311, and was itself succeeded ...
: in production between 1966 and 1984
File:Wartburg 353 W.jpg, Wartburg 353W: in production between 1984 and 1985
File:AWE Wartburg 353W, Verkehrszentrum des Deutschen Museums.JPG, Wartburg 353W: Transport Center of the Deutsches Museum - Hall I.
File:1988 Wartburg 353 (993 cc).jpg, Wartburg 353
The Wartburg 353, known in some export markets as the Wartburg Knight, is a medium-sized family car, produced by the East German car manufacturer AWE for their Wartburg brand. It was the successor of the Wartburg 311, and was itself succeeded ...
at the Stanford Hall Eastern European Car Rallye in 2006
File:Wartburg-2006-03.jpg, The Wartburg 353 based Melkus RS 1000
Melkus RS 1000 is a sports car produced by Melkus. It is powered by a tuned, mid-mounted 3-cylinder 2-stroke 992 cm3 engine, similar to the one in the Wartburg 353, and features gull-wing doors. 101 cars were made between 1969 and 197 ...
racing car
File:Wartburgpickup.jpg, 1988 Wartburg 353
The Wartburg 353, known in some export markets as the Wartburg Knight, is a medium-sized family car, produced by the East German car manufacturer AWE for their Wartburg brand. It was the successor of the Wartburg 311, and was itself succeeded ...
pickup
File:Wartburg 355 in Verkehrsmuseum Dresden 06.jpg, Wartburg 355 prototype
File:Wartburg 610M Front-view.JPG, Wartburg 610M
References
External links
UK-based official Wartburg, Trabant and IFA owners' club
– long introduction
Video: How Wartburgs were made
IFA Mobile 2takt Vereniging
– the so-called oldest association of East German cars
– acts and images
Polish Wartburg Club
– Polski Klub Wartburga
New Wartburg V8
– German report on Eisenach Online
{{Authority control
Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of Germany
Industrieverband Fahrzeugbau
Car manufacturers of Germany
Eisenach
Transport in East Germany
Car manufacturers of East Germany