The marque goes back to as early as 1885. Wartburgs were produced until 1989; production ceased due to unprofitability. The two stroke engine was replaced by a 4 stroke VW motor in the last year of production, but the time and technology had passed and the car could not live up to modern standards. The final nail to the coffin was the introduction of the Deutsche Mark (DM) as the cost of producing a car reached DM 20,000. There are still cars in drivable condition and one can still see a happy Wartburg owner in his very enjoyable car. Wartburg cars were exported to many countries in Europe.
The name "Wartburg" derives from the Wartburg Castle on one of the hills overlooking the town of Eisenach where the cars were manufactured.
The factory producing the Wartburg cars was acquired by Opel in 1989.
See also: Trabant
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