Iconic Trabant Model Takes American Cross-Country Tour: 60th Anniversary Celebration Aims to Raise Awareness and Donations for Rare Disease

Jan-Erik Nord’s Trabi has crossed the Atlantic by ship and he is now set to embark on a journey across America. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the iconic Trabant model, which Nord will be driving as part of his mission titled “Route 601.”

On his tour, Nord will visit famous cities such as Detroit, Chicago, Las Vegas, Yellowstone National Park, and Stanford in California. He will always carry a small teddy bear with him that was given to him by Käthe Hofmann from Zwickau, a four-year-old with an incurable butterfly disease. Originally planned as a vacation, Nord has turned his tour into a charity drive for Käthe, aiming to raise awareness and collect donations for a new therapy for those affected by the disease.

Nord plans to discuss the cause with people along the way, seek support from institutions and document his journey on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. The Trabant may be a product of the socialist GDR but it gained popularity in America in the early 90s when it starred alongside Thomas Gottschalk in “Trabbi goes to Hollywood.” Nord discovered his love for this cult car later in life after his wife gave him a ride for his birthday. He now owns three Trabis – two old timers from the East and one newer model – that he collects as part of his passion for these unique vehicles.