History
A large touring scooter from East Germany. It's very rare in Australia but quite common in Germany and eastern Europe. I purchased it as a restoration project from a German scooter enthusiast in Melbourne about 3 years ago.
Industrialwerke of Ludwigsfeld (IWL) was established as a Daimler-Benz aircraft engine factory in 1936. The factory was bombed into rubble during the Second World War and subsequently plundered of all salvageable equipment by the Soviets in 1945. In 1950 the IWL factory was revived to build machine parts and tractors. Slowly rebuilding their capacity, in 1954 the Industrial Association for Vehicle Production (IFA) assigned IWL a contract to build scooters. IWL had no specific experience with scooters but was able to capitalise on the experience of DKW's Zchopau and Zwickau motorcycle works, now trading as MZ.
IWL’s first product was the Pitty in 1954, most notable for its enormously bulbous 'snout.' Powered by MZ’s proven 125cc engine – the same engine used in pre-war DKW RT-125 and the post-war BSA Bantam and Harley-Davidson Hummer – it was heavy and underpowered. In 1956 it was replaced by the Wiesel, a far more conventional looking scooter. In 1959 the engine was upgraded to a muscular 143ccs and was renamed the Berlin. The Berlin was a magnificently stylish machine and extremely popular, selling over 160,000 units.
In 1963 the Berlin was completely remodelled in a 'modern' style. The scooter is built around a robust steel frame. The body work is largely made of aluminium and Duraplast (a resin impregnated cotton pulp used in the Trabant).
The Troll wasn't long in production. 56,000 were built before production was transferred to MZ in 1964. The next year MZ stopped production in favour of their ETS125 and 250, with which the Troll shared many components and styling.
With their lumpy styling, Trolls were never in great demand for restoration (in comparison to the very popular Berlin). Poor condition examples are extremely common and can be picked up on German eBay for restoration for a few hundred euros. The abundance of spares in Germany, where parts for almost every MZ model continue to be manufactured, is a blessing for restorers. That all said the Troll is a pleasant, comfortable – if somewhat slow - machine to drive.
Modifications
Electronic ignition from Power-Dynamo
