IFA Wartburg 312 HT vorgestellt. Einer von 709 in der DDR gebauten 312 Hardtop Cabriolet. VEB

#eastgermancar #wartburg312 #oldtimer The Wartburg 312 HT is one of the rarest Wartburgs that you could buy back then, in addition to the sport. Only 709 of this type were built in the former GDR. Technically it is also interesting as it was a transitional model between the Wartburg 311 and the Wartburg 353. This type was built from 1965 to 1967. It was high time that the Wartburg 311 was further developed into the 312, because the chassis of the 311 type dates back to before the Second World War. Neither the leaf springs nor the many grease nipples in various places were still up to date in the 1960s. The hardtop cabriolet was built in the body shop in Dresden together with the Wartburg Camping and was officially called a hardtop coupé. The 312 HT was delivered with a hard top as standard, but if you dig a little deeper into your pocket, you could also get a soft top. That was particularly practical, because the hard top weighs over 30 kg and can only be removed by two people. A special feature of the Wartburg 312 is the modified front and rear sections of the body, which have been largely revised. But at the time, tastes were at odds with this view. Although it was praised in the trade press for the new technology, it was criticized for its disproportionate appearance, which certainly also contributed to it being discontinued after just two years of construction. It was then the last of the convertibles made in the GDR. As was typical in GDR times, even the transition between the 311 and the Wartburg 353 was paired with transitions, so strictly speaking there was also the Wartburg 311 HT, which officially did not exist. They still had the old chassis from the 311. Also criticized was the high fuel consumption of 10.5 liters / 100 km on average, with a lower top speed compared to the predecessor Wartburg 311, which can be attributed to the higher air resistance and a modified exhaust system. In order to film this Wartburg, I met Thomas, who, in addition to the 312, also owns a 311 and a Sport. He has tremendous expertise about all Wartburg cars and is happy to share it with us. At this point, many thanks again! Many thanks also to all subscribers who remain loyal to the retro channel.