1957 Trabant P50
Trabant P50s are relatively unknown in some parts because they hardly left the Soviet Bloc. The lack of a fool-hardy American importer doesn’t make the East German car any better than the Yugo, however. In many ways, it was a reflection of life in East Germany, with lofty ambitions that were painfully short of realization. The plastic body seemed sleek but inside it was cramped, uncomfortable, and you felt every pebble. The front-wheel-drive was powered by a transverse-mounted, two-stroke engine and required drivers to put oil in the fuel tank — think about the pollution!