An East German Trabant or “Trabi” parked on a street in Prague. This is a “mine” kind of car for so many reasons.

These iconic Soviet era cars built in East Germany between 1963 and 1990 and widely exported to countries in the Soviet Bloc were rated by Time Magazine as one of the 50 worst cars in the history of the world. Wow, that’s a reason to make it “mine.”

This 2-stroke, 26HP beauty was the most common car in East Germany and was eagerly sought after by people who needed a car to get around. Poor production schedules typically led to a multi-year wait for delivery after a worker plunked down the money necessary to buy it. Financing was generally not an option. Only those with a bit of “pull” in the old GDR were able to get one. It was truly a “mine” status symbol.

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall these cars have become a collector’s item and there are Trabi Car Clubs in many former Warsaw Pact countries.

If you want to make one of these “mine,” check eBay.

Travel safe. Have fun.