- Title: Bulgarian teen collects and restores communist era cars
- Date: 30th August 2019
- Summary: ZHELEZNA, BULGARIA (AUGUST 29, 2019) (REUTERS) SIXTEEN YEAR OLD TRABANT COLLECTOR, KRISTIAN DIMITROV, GETTING INTO TRABANT, TURNING ON ENGINE, ENGINE STUTTERING SIGN ON WALL READING (Bulgarian): "TRABILAND - ZHELEZNA VILLAGE" DIMITROV LOOKING AT TRABANT ENGINE, SAYING (Bulgarian): "Sometimes I feel that Trabants are living creatures and I give them names." VARIOUS OF OLD TRABANT PARKED IN YARD DIMITROV GETTING INTO TRABANT, TURNING ON LIGHT, ONE LIGHT FLASHING (SOUNDBITE) (Bulgarian) SIXTEEN YEAR OLD STUDENT AND TRABANT COLLECTOR, KRISTIAN DIMITROV, SAYING: "I imagine my future life thriving with more Trabants and more projects. I hope I will have a good job, connected with cars. Although no one knows what will happen." DIMITROV DRIVING TRABANT IN YARD MONTANA, BULGARIA (AUGUST 29, 2019) (REUTERS) DIMITROV IN CAR PARTS SHOP BUYING PARTS FOR TRABANT, SHOP KEEPER HANDING HIM CAR FAN BELT SHELVES WITH CAR PARTS ON THEM, SIGN READING: "TRABANT" DIMITROV'S HANDS HOLDING CAR FAN BELT, PLACING IT ON COUNTER DIMITROV PURCHASING PARTS, SHOP KEEPER COMPLETING TRANSACTION DIMITROV EXITING CAR PARTS SHOP DIMITROV LOOKING AT PARKED TRABANT DEFLATED CAR TYRE OF TRABANT INTERIOR OF TRABANT SEEN THROUGH CAR'S WINDOW (SOUNDBITE) (Bulgarian) SIXTEEN YEAR OLD STUDENT AND TRABANT COLLECTOR, KRISTIAN DIMITROV, SAYING: "I feel that I have to preserve the history (of the cars), because if we do not take care of it, there will be no history at all." REMODELLED INTERIOR OF TRABANT DIMITROV TAKING RED HAT OUT OF CAR BOOT AND SAYING (Bulgarian): "The previous owner of this Trabant was stationmaster." RED STATION MASTER'S HAT DIMITROV TAKING POLICE HAT OUT OF CAR BOOT AND SAYING (Bulgarian): "I also have a police hat. This one is mine, I also collect hats" TOOLS IN GARAGE (SOUNDBITE) (Bulgarian) KRISTIAN'S FATHER (STANDING WITH KRISTIAN'S MOTHER), KRASIMIR DIMITROV, SAYING: "It was a spontaneous idea to purchase the first Trabant. Kristian came to me and said he wanted a Trabant and he had already collected the money for it. I decided to treat him, but first I explained to him the responsibility that comes with having a car. After I witnessed his enthusiasm over this (the Trabants), how well he repaired it, we (him and his wife) decided that it was a good decision (to allow Kristian to get more Trabants.)" DIMITROV IN MODIFIED TRABANT, DRIVING IT SMOKE COMING OUT OF MODIFIED TRABANT'S EXHAUST DIMITROV DRIVING MODIFIED TRABANT ALONG TRACK
- Embargoed: 13th September 2019 12:46
- Keywords: teenage Trabant collector teen collects communist era cars car collections Bulgaria Trabant car
- Location: ZHELEZNA AND MONTANA, BULGARIA
- City: ZHELEZNA AND MONTANA, BULGARIA
- Country: Bulgaria
- Topics: Human Interest / Brights / Odd News,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001AUEUH4P
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Sixteen year-old Kristian Dimitrov may not be old enough to drive on the roads, but that doesn't stop him from pursuing his passion - collecting communist era Trabant cars.
Dimitrov collects old rusty models of the iconic vehicle and restores them to their former glory. He now boasts seven in his collection.
Dimitrov bought his first Trabant aged 11, with money he saved up. After being lectured by his father about the responsibilities that come with owning a car, Dimitrov worked hard to repair his prized purchase.
The remaining six cars in his collection were either donated to him by fellow Trabant enthusiasts who no longer needed them, or ones which Dimitrov found abandoned.
The teen, who also collects hats and communist era car number plates, dreams of adding more vehicles to his pack.
"I feel that I have to preserve the history, because if we do not take care of it, there will be no history at all," he said.
The Trabant was first introduced in 1957 as an East German response to West Germany's immensely popular 'people's car', the Volkswagen Beetle.
(Production: Miroslav Roussinov, Louisa Naks) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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