Subject: Re: [Spridgets] Sprite at Checkpoint Charlie

From: HealeyRick via Spridgets <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 2015 14:00:10 -0500

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Here's a link to the translation, which also identifies the car as a
Trabant:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187323-i135-k1510633-Berlin_Wall_translation-Berlin.html
 I think it is a Trabi, rather than the Sprite as the emblem on the hood is
the Trabant emblem and it the Trabi would have had a roof.

Happy Healeydays,
Rick Neville

On Sat, Dec 19, 2015 at 1:21 PM, Tim Collins via Spridgets <
[email-masked]> wrote:

> In the past I have mentioned the role of a Austin Healey Sprite in
> smuggling women from East to West Germany during the time of the Berlin
> Wall.
>
> The first person to smuggle his girl to freedom was Heinz Meixner who used
> a rented Sprite to smuggle Margarete Thurau (and her mother - his future
> mother-in-law. What a guy!) to the West by driving under the checkpoint
> gate.
>
> One last time a Sprite was used by Norbert Konrad who smuggled Helga
> Werner to freedom. After that the gate was modified so small cars couldn't
> drive under it.
>
> Last night by chance, I found a picture of graffiti art on the Berlin Wall
> that memorialized the Sprite crossings - at least I believe the artwork is
> based on the Sprite story. The artist takes some liberties by showing the
> top of the are being severed by the gate, but that part never really
> happened. The Sprite passed cleanly under the gate. I thought some Spridget
> folks might be interested in the picture so here's a link. Printed stories
> about the crossings (in May of 1963) can be found on the web in the Chicago
> Trib. and Time Mag.
>
> http://www.pbase.com/barbarajoy/image/161588338
>
> If anyone can translate the German words, please let me know. Google
> Translate didn't work very well.
>
> Tim
>
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<div dir=3D"ltr">Here&#39;s a link to the translation, which also identifie=
s the car as a Trabant: =C2=A0<a href=3D"http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTop=
ic-g187323-i135-k1510633-Berlin_Wall_translation-Berlin.html">http://www.tr=
ipadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187323-i135-k1510633-Berlin_Wall_translation-Berli=
n.html</a> =C2=A0I think it is a Trabi, rather than the Sprite as the emble=
m on the hood is the Trabant emblem and it the Trabi would have had a roof.=
<div><br></div><div>Happy Healeydays,</div><div>Rick Neville</div><div><br>=
</div></div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Sa=
t, Dec 19, 2015 at 1:21 PM, Tim Collins via Spridgets <span dir=3D"ltr">&lt=
;<a href=3D"mailto:[email-masked]" target=3D"_blank">spridgets@au=
tox.team.net</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" sty=
le=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div d=
ir=3D"ltr">In the past I have mentioned the role of a Austin Healey Sprite =
in smuggling women from East to West Germany during the time of the Berlin =
Wall.<div><br></div><div>The first person to smuggle his girl to freedom wa=
s Heinz Meixner who used a rented Sprite to smuggle Margarete Thurau (and h=
er mother - his future mother-in-law. What a guy!) to the West by driving u=
nder the checkpoint gate.=C2=A0</div><div><br></div><div>One last time a Sp=
rite was used by Norbert Konrad who smuggled Helga Werner to freedom. After=
 that the gate was modified so small cars couldn&#39;t drive under it.=C2=
=A0</div><div><br></div><div>Last night by chance, I found a picture of gra=
ffiti art on the Berlin Wall that memorialized the Sprite crossings - at le=
ast I believe the artwork is based on the Sprite story. The artist takes so=
me liberties by showing the top of the are being severed by the gate, but t=
hat part never really happened. The Sprite passed cleanly under the gate. I=
 thought some Spridget folks might be interested in the picture so here&#39=
;s a link. Printed stories about the crossings (in May of 1963) can be foun=
d on the web in the Chicago Trib. and Time Mag.=C2=A0</div><div><br></div><=
div><a href=3D"http://www.pbase.com/barbarajoy/image/161588338" style=3D"fo=
nt-size:16px" target=3D"_blank">http://www.pbase.com/barbarajoy/image/16158=
8338</a><br></div><div><br></div><div>If anyone can translate the German wo=
rds, please let me know. Google Translate didn&#39;t work very well.=C2=A0<=
/div><span class=3D"HOEnZb"><font color=3D"#888888"><div><br></div><div>Tim=
</div></font></span></div>
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<br></blockquote></div><br></div>

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From: Billy Zoom via Spridgets <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 2015 15:01:21 -0800

Looks a Trabant to me.
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