Meet the Ferrari of Soviet Bloc.
If the name Melkus rings in your head, it is likely because there was an earlier car company using the same name. Perhaps a few people know that Melkus was an original car company that existed between 1959 and 1986. It produced one road car, the RS 1000. This is featured in our Soviet Bloc cars series. The Melkus RS1000 was produced in a very limited number of 101 copies during its lifetime. They were all assembled in Dresden, East Germany under the direction of Heinz Melkus, a race driver, from 1969 to 1979. The RS 1000s were powered by a 1.0-liter three-cylinder, two-stroke petrol engine. It produced 70 horsepower (51 kilowatts) and was sourced from Wartburg 353. The engine was coupled to a five speed manual gearbox that sent the power to the rear wheels. Some examples were equipped with a larger 1.2-liter engine, which gave the car a top speed exceeding 109 mph (175 km/h). The Melkus was a pioneer in engineering, in one way or the other. It had a fiberglass body wrapped around a traditional ladder frame and a roll bar that was integrated into the windscreen. This is why it was slightly underpowered. It weighed in at just 1,500 pounds (680 kg) due to its simple construction. Don’t forget the gull-wing doors. The vehicle’s low weight makes it easy for the tiny engine to accelerate it. It can go from 0-60 miles per hour (0-100 km/h) in 12 seconds. Top speed is 103 mph (165 km/h). This is quite impressive for a 1.0 2-stroke engine.
The motor had the same distinct buzz as the Trabant 600 or the Wartburg 353. You can see the video below to hear the “supercar” sound. The RS 1000 race variants had a modified engine that could produce up to 118 hp (87 kW) and a top speed exceeding 130 mph (210 km/h). It was dubbed the Ferrari of the Soviet Bloc because it resembles the Ferrari 250 GTO. The iconic Italian supercar inspired the shape of the headlights and the plastic covers, as well as the wheel arches and roofline.
The gallery below shows photos of a modern Melkus RS 1000. These sketches show the RS 2000, which was unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. It is the successor to the original RS 1000. The model was limited to 25 units despite its attractive design and Toyota-sourced turbo engine of 1.8-liter. Unfortunately, Melkus filed insolvency in Germany in 2012. This ended the story of the company, almost 30 years after it disappeared from the market in 1986.