RCR reviews the Trabant.

[Brad Johnson]

An entertaining review and semi-detailed tech/history dive into the quintessential Soviet people's car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG9Yn3b4SuI

Brad

[Fly320s]

Doug Demuro has a review, also.

edit.  Trabant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No1-4GsQa-g

And a Volga Gaz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuidQ9ang1Q

[230RN]

Didn't one of the most popular little  peoples' cars, the Citroen, also have a 2-banger 2 cycle engine?

That was a great video, very well done... as opposed to... oh, never mind.

Mild, but effective rejection of Statism, so thanks for that awakening instead of a pukey "woke" screed.

Maybe I missed it, but was that a front or rear-wheel drive car? Engineering decisions could go either way on that.

Terry, 230RN

[Angel Eyes]

Didn't one of the most popular little  peoples' cars, the Citroen, also have a 2-banger 2 cycle engine?

The Citroen 2CV had a two-cylinder boxer engine, but it was 4-stroke.

[Angel Eyes]

https://youtu.be/H99XlWQ9KsA?t=40

[BobR]

When the first Subaru hit our shores it had a 356cc two cylinder, two stroke engine in it. It was the Subaru 360, considered small and ugly it sure lived up to that reputation. For some reason there was one in Lawton OK in 68 or so that I can remember. I wonder if some guy in the Army brought it back with him. My 100cc twin Yamaha would smoke it!

bob

[bedlamite]

Saab DKW was also 2 stroke

[Devonai]

My first car was a 1988 Subaru Justy, 3-cylinder.

[grampster]

Saab DKW was also 2 stroke

We had a Saab dealer near where I grew up.  Probably around 1950's+.  I recall the 2cyl 2 stroke Saabs.  They had a specific sound and were a bit smoky.  I bought a new Saab 900S coupe in 1982.  I really enjoyed that car.  My brother and I drove it out to Yellowstone in the summer of '82.  Had a ball with it driving in the mountains.  It had a 5 speed stick, but no AC.  I sold it in late 1983.

[Brad Johnson]

It had a 5 speed stick, but no AC.  I sold it in late 1983.

Most Saabs from the 80s didn't have AC even when they had AC.

Brad

[Bogie]

One of the directors in the labs in the late 1990s/early 2000s was still driving his Suby Justy college car. Because it was paid for. One of the spark plugs was welded into the head, but it still fired... I think it was still running around 2003 or so...

[HeroHog]

Our old 3cyl Justy was a great, cheap, car! Served us and another family after us, very well.

[Bogie]

I'm gonna thump this dead horsepower once again.
 
We need cheap cars. We need small cars. We need a Model-T for 2023,4,whatever...
 
Not everyone needs race car performance. In fact, most people don't. We need zero-60 eventually.
 
Just don't make it a Volkswagen - those guys now think that they're Mercedes... The only thing more insufferable than a BMW owner is an Audi owner... And the folks with Volkswagens think they are still putting along in the people's car...
 
Cars Not To Buy:
 
Anything "luxury."
 
Audi
BMW
Mercedes (I see so many "entry level" version hoopties...)
Volkswagen
Infiniti
Acura
Lexus
Cadillac
Anything used Saturn
Anything British
Anything... hell... European

Subaru goes NUTS at the dealers regarding warranties if ANYTHING gets changed - and if you have a flat on one tire in an AWD car, change all four, because if you don't...

[Boomhauer]

I'm gonna thump this dead horsepower once again.
 
We need cheap cars. We need small cars. We need a Model-T for 2023,4,whatever...
 
Not everyone needs race car performance. In fact, most people don't. We need zero-60 eventually.
 
Just don't make it a Volkswagen - those guys now think that they're Mercedes... The only thing more insufferable than a BMW owner is an Audi owner... And the folks with Volkswagens think they are still putting along in the people's car...
 
Cars Not To Buy:
 
Anything "luxury."
 
Audi
BMW
Mercedes (I see so many "entry level" version hoopties...)
Volkswagen
Infiniti
Acura
Lexus
Cadillac
Anything used Saturn
Anything British
Anything... hell... European

Subaru goes NUTS at the dealers regarding warranties if ANYTHING gets changed - and if you have a flat on one tire in an AWD car, change all four, because if you don't...

We have them. Kia Rio is one of them. There was a time you could buy one for $8k and the dealers screamed at you in radio commercials about it.

[dogmush]

I'm gonna thump this dead horsepower once again.
 
We need cheap cars. We need small cars. We need a Model-T for 2023,4,whatever...
 
Not everyone needs race car performance. In fact, most people don't. We need zero-60 eventually.
 
Just don't make it a Volkswagen - those guys now think that they're Mercedes... The only thing more insufferable than a BMW owner is an Audi owner... And the folks with Volkswagens think they are still putting along in the people's car...
 
Cars Not To Buy:
 
Anything "luxury."
 
Audi
BMW
Mercedes (I see so many "entry level" version hoopties...)
Volkswagen
Infiniti
Acura
Lexus
Cadillac
Anything used Saturn
Anything British
Anything... hell... European

Subaru goes NUTS at the dealers regarding warranties if ANYTHING gets changed - and if you have a flat on one tire in an AWD car, change all four, because if you don't...

The Model T was $825* when it debuted in 1909.  The internet says that's +/- $24,000 2022 dollars.

Here are 10 cars cheaper than that: https://www.cars.com/articles/here-are-the-10-cheapest-new-cars-you-can-buy-right-now-421309/


*That is a little misleading, because the Tin Lizzie dropped in price a fair bit during it's first 10 years in production, making an 2022 equivalent as cheap as $10-$14k some years, however 1909-1919 had a much, much less robust used car market, so the idea that basic reliable transportation no longer exists at Model T equivalent prices is just false.  We can point to the added costs of registration, property taxes and insurance as something Model T buyers didn't have to deal with though.

[Bogie]

STL car buyers have a 10% sales tax that must be paid prior to issuance of plates.
 
A lot of new buyers, especially during income tax season, are not aware of that.