BERLN – With its boxy design, cramped interior and notorious clouds of blue smoke billowing from its exhaust, the Trabant is often referred to as the worst car ever made.

But somehow the plucky East German vehicle has refused to die out, with a dedicated group of enthusiasts still devoted to keeping refurbished models on the road.

In Germany, which celebrated 35 years of reunification on Oct 3, the number of Trabis on the streets is actually on the rise as the old rattletraps gain a new legion of fans.

There are around 40,800 so-called Trabis registered in Germany today, according to the KBA federal transport authority – compared with about 33,000 ten years ago.

Mr Glenn Kuschan, 58, counts several Trabant owners among the customers at his car repair shop south of Berlin.

They include all sorts, he said, from “older people who grew up with (Trabis) to young people who really want an original vehicle”.

Mr Kuschan is the proud owner of 23 Trabis himself, including a white model that once belonged to his father and has clocked up more than 500,000km.

The Trabi has achieved cult status because of its association with German reunification and the fall of the Berlin Wall, he said.