And here our tour draws to an end. Now with just two Trabies remaining we headed back to Sofia, some 100 miles and two hours drive to where we first started – a retail park near the airport.
We said our fond fairwells to Neil and Toncho, and our fellow passengers with discussions about a possible reunion around the Baltics with different vehicles.
Unfortunately, the new E10 petrol formulation does not suit classic cars such as the Trabants. To put it bluntly, it rots their guts. While some of its rubber parts can be replaced with current substitutes, the corrosion of its mechanical parts is a different story. Many of these are no longer available and it would be far too costly to have modern alternatives made.
So sadly, this appears to be the final tour of the Trabies, and after waiting three years to join the trip due to the Covid restrictions, we were so lucky to be a part of it. We hope that the Trabants can be resurrected, but deep down in our hearts we think that is not likely.
Gone but not forgotten by our group and many others over the years who were able to experience the drive in these classic cars and the Bulgarian sites and sights they took us to. Our thanks to Neil and Toncho who made it happen just one more time.
Copyright: Words and photos (unless otherwise stated) Sue Barnard 2022
Very much enjoyed my armchair travel with you – again.
Sadly your photos haven’t come through on the emails. Is there another way of my seeing them?
Thanks
Love
Liz x
Hello Liz. Yes there is an alternative way of seeing missing photos. This technical hitch happens on some media. Instead, scroll down to the bottom of the email and there will be a URL link. Just copy and paste that to an internet browser and you should see the posting in full. Thanks.