Little illustrates the difference between West Germany and East Germany as much as the cars of the respective states. With the reunification 30 years ago, the streetscape in the new all-Germany changed visibly. 2-stroke cars rattled through Hamburg, Porsche and Mercedes raced towards the East.
East Germany also used to have more luxurious sedans. Some were imported from the West, while others were bought from other Eastern states. All in all, they were much rarer than in the West. But no less beautiful. Below are five great cars from East Germany. We explain what they once meant to East Germany and what became of the manufacturers. And how much used examples cost today.
That stretched Citroën CX is considered the last official car of the penultimate East Germany head of state: SED Secretary-General Erich Honecker ordered two stretch versions of the Citroën from Swedish coachbuilder Nilsson in the mid-1980s. However, these 5.5-meter-long sedans (plus 40 centimeters compared to the original) remained stuck in customs for a long time. They do not arrive in East Germany until mid-1989.
That’s fitting: East Germany was celebrating its 40th anniversary in that year, but there weree already rumblings among the population. Foreign policy in East Germany was isolated, but French President Francois Mitterrand wanted to congratulate them personally in the fall. A worthy reception is befitting the noble Citroën with soft velour seats, fantastic legroom and one of the best cassette radios available in East Germany (from RFT Greifenstein).
A 2.5-liter four-cylinder works under the long hoods, which sends its 136 hp to the front axle via a torque converter automatic. The engine gets along great with the conventional version of the CX, but not with the weighty state coach, says brand fans. Honecker and Mitterrand don’t roll over East Berlin’s roads as quickly as they should.
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The French president never got to see the Swedish special edition (for 120,000 crowns). Around the time of the planned visit in the fall of 1989, something more important happened in Berlin: On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell, followed by reunification with the Federal Republic on October 3, 1990.
In the meantime, the long-wheelbase Citroën CXs did not clock up many kilometers: The odometer showed 17,800 kilometers when one of the CXs was auctioned off by the French auction house Artcurial at the end of 2015. Honecker’s failed greeting to Mitterand fetches 92,800 euros. The Citroën CXs road-ready examples can be had for less than 4,000 euros.
