The 'Eastbloc' of the Comecon countries was created after the Second World War, and lasted for around 45 years. From 1989 to 1992 the Iron Curtain gradually rusted away, the Berlin Wall fell, and we witnessed the democratisation of many of the states which had previously been under Soviet control. Thus the period during which car production had been centrally controlled and severely constrained came to an end. During those years, 1945 to around 1990, East European engineers struggled to produce cars, in the face of political interference, economic hardship and shortages of materials.
After the period covered by this book, many western countries set up modern auto plants in the former Comecon countries. In this publication we show what cars were produced in those countries while they were still part of the 'Eastbloc'. Marques and models covered include Skoda, Tatra, Aero, Jawa, Walter, Praga, Velorex, 'Z', EMW, IFA, AWZ, Trabant, Horch, Barkas, Sachsenring, Wartburg, Framo, Robur, Melkus, FSO Wrszawa, Syrena, Polski Fiat, Polonez, Tarpan, Zastava,ARO, Dacia, Oltcit, Russo-Baltique, Riga Auto Factory, NAMI, GAZ, Uaz, Zis, Zil, Zim, Pobeida, Chaika, Volga, Moskvih, Izh. Vaz, Lada, Samara, Niva, Volin and Zaporozhets.