Despite an uncertain future, Ward's Auto is reporting that Opel is looking at the possibility of starting a new low-cost line under the revived moniker "Wartburg." Made by East German company VEB AEW until 1991, in their most recent guise, Wartburgs were cheap transportation for the Communist set, vying for breadline parking spaces with Trabants and the like. The cheap and cheerless models were assembled in a facility in Eisenach that was within sight of Wartburg castle. When the Soviet-era factory closed, Opel opened up its own factory in Eisenach the following year.
For Opel, a €7,000 Wartburg could create more sales openings for the Corsa and more output for the Eisenach factory where the model is presently made. Still, it is "only one of several options" according to an Opel source, and with General Motors' financial situation, we expect options to be changing daily. If it did occur, a cheaper Corse-based economy model could make sense... but do people really have fond memories of Wartburg?
[Source: Ward's Auto | Source Images: Opel; Wikipedia, Creative Commons 2.0]
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