Cars, Lasses and Lads - A Photo Sharing Thread

21,611 · February 29, 2024

5 hours ago, Inspector Morose said:

311 had 15” wheels, 312 had 13” wheels so that makes that a 312, I believe.

I bought a 1957 311 saloon from Poland from a retired Wartburg chauffeur - he was able to buy the car after he retired. It was ace, originally it had the smaller 750cc (cant remember exactly but it was basically a IFA F9 unit) but I popped along to the local scappies and picked up a 353 lump to get me home. Years later, I was searching for an original engine and came across one in Guildford at another Wartburg fetishist. It turned out that it was my old engine that I left behind, the Guildford guy had bought something else off him, spotted my engine and bought that too!

Ran it for a few years, partially as a daily driver until I managed to buy B-FOG of Nick Larkin but the ravages of time and many, many Polish giffer bodges to the inner structure and mechanicals meant that it would have cost me thousands to put properly right. I used to annoy folk the IFA club meets as mine was the oldest Wartburg in the country and so automatically got a prize every time, eventually someone found and imported a 1956 311 just to topple me off! Ah, happy days…

312s are the one to go for as they are basically 353s with the nicer body off the 311. The engine is plenty for the car and pretty robust and reliable.

13" wheels are for winners. I knew the 312 was based on the 353 chassis but didn't know what that really entailed. Now I know I just have to look at the wheels, thanks.

I do actually own one but it is very very small.

However as this is the only half decent one I could find for sale, and this has already sold, I'll have to accept that this is the closest I will ever get.