East Germany's only home-grown sports car needed sign-off from a motorsport federation just to exist.
Lead trim: RS 1000 1.0 L AWE353/1 three-cylinder two-stroke (51 kW)
Melkus RS 1000RS 1000 · 1969–1979
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Melkus RS 1000 yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactEast Germany's only home-grown sports car needed sign-off from a motorsport federation just to exist.
The Melkus RS 1000, designed by Heinz Melkus and built in small numbers (101 cars) at the Dresden factory from 1969 to 1979, was East Germany's only home-grown sports car — a gull-wing-doored coupe on a Wartburg 353-derived platform, with its tuned 992 cc three-cylinder two-stroke engine mounted amidships. To get East German government permission to build it, Melkus worked with the Automobile Racing Commission of the ADMV motorsport federation. The AWE353/1 engine made 51 kW. Rear-mid-engine, rear-wheel drive, 5-speed manual; wheelbase 2,450 mm (96.4 in), length 4,000 mm (157.4 in), width 1,700 mm (66.9 in), height 1,070 mm (42.1 in), kerb weight 690 kg (1,521 lb). The page states power only in kW, not the literal "hp" text needed to assert a converted horsepower figure, so horsepower is left unset here.
Collectors Spotted in the Melkus RS 1000 Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Melkus RS 1000 yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RS 1000 1.0 L AWE353/1 three-cylinder two-stroke (51 kW) | 1969–1979 | 1.0 L Inline-3 | 68 hp | 87 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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