Der Pinker Stinker

Our iconic pink Trabant convertible has been Danish Island Wedding’s company car ever since we started up in 2008. It has starred in numerous weddings, and stole the show on Danish TV’s “Business on Wedding Island” which was filmed on Ærø a few year’s ago and still gets repeated at regular intervals. The “Trabi” is usually parked outside the office in the square in Ærøskøbing – in the summer many Danish tourists recognise it from the TV series and pose for pictures. 

The Trabi did not start life as a wedding car, of course. Built in 1974 in Zwickau in what was then East Germany, it was originally a dull dusty communist blue, and had a roof. After the wall came down a small German company called Ostermann bought a number of Trabis – at that time you could hardly give them away – renovated them, strengthened the chassis, removed the roof, and painted them bright colours. 

Louise and I bought ours when we were living in Berlin, just for fun, long before Danish Island Weddings was even thought of. At that time I was the UK Air Attaché in Berlin and used it for attending official functions, which raised a few eyebrows. My Luftwaffe colleagues christened it “Der Pinker Stinker” (on account of the 2-stroke smoke it puts out) and the name has stuck, although it seems a little disrespectful.

It is, I have to say, pretty unusual to drive. Luckily the 27hp engine ensures the Trabi cannot go fast enough for the “unusual” steering, brakes, and handling to cause too many problems. But for wedding pictures and family outings to the beach – or even Louise’s flower picking – it reigns supreme!