The Wartburg 353 was a medium-sized family car produced by the East German car manufacturer AWE for their Wartburg brand, which was one of the two car brands in East Germany, the other being VEB Sachsenring's Trabant. The 353 was the successor to the Wartburg 311, and was in production for 22 years until it was replaced by the Wartburg 1.3 in the late 80s, which was the last car in the Wartburg brand before it was discontinued following the reunification of Germany. In some export markets, the 353 was known as the Wartburg Knight.
The Wartburg cars were considered to be more "luxury" compared to the Trabants, as the bodywork was made from steel instead of duroplast, and they were faster than the Trabants, with the two-stroke engines developing 48 BHP and a top speed of 80 mph. Wartburgs were used as government vehicles in a similar manner to the GAZ Volga in Russia (then part of the Soviet Union), in particular being used as police cars by the Volkspolizei. Due to the nature of the planned economy, deliveries to private owners could take ten to fifteen years.
Like the Trabants, Wartburg cars gained notoriety for copious exhaust emissions, with the 353 earning the nickname of "Farty Hans". However, Wartburgs found some success as rally cars due to their durability and reliability.
Appearances[]
- In Series 12, Episode 6 of Top Gear, the Wartburg 353 was briefly shown during a segment focusing on Communist-made cars. Jeremy Clarkson mentions that when the Wartburg was made into a rally car, the brakes were swapped out for those featured on the Austin Maxi.
- In Series 1, Episode 1 of James May's Cars of the People, James reviews the Wartburg 353, mentioning that the car was used by the East German police force, the Volkspolizei.