Car Barkas B1000 firefighters COBI 24594 - Youngtimer

You know that:

• Barkas cars were produced in the East German car factory in Karl-Marx Stadt (today Chemnitz).
• In 1945, the plant had to start from scratch, as all the factory equipment was dismantled and transported to the Soviet Union as part of war reparations.
• As the successor to the Framo V 901, the B1000 was very modern for its time with its self-supporting body and engine layout.
• Originally, the designers wanted to use wood for the construction of the frame, just like the previous model.
• In the end, wood was not used, because the East German carmaker was counting on exports to African countries, where the car's durability had to exceed normal European standards.
• The name Barkas comes from the Phoenician language and means "lightning" but also "fast".
• Despite the name, the biggest weakness was the small engine, which often could not withstand prolonged overloading.
• The corrosion treatment on the first series was called "NO", meaning "none", and some new cars were taken over by customers with rust on the bodywork. From this point of view, it seems that wooden construction might have been more suitable for Africa.
• The last one, serial number 175 600, was produced on 10 April 1991.

Technical specification:

• length 4520 mm, width 1860 mm, height 1910 mm
• kerb weight 1600 kg
• engine gasoline two-stroke R3, 3-cylinder, 992 cm3, 34kW
• maximum speed 100 km/h
• consumption 10,5 l/100 km
• number of seats 4