IFA W.50.L (1969). Free and cheerful. 

Auto Motor Klassiek » Casual meetings » IFA W.50.L (1969). Free and cheerful. 
Purchasing classics there

There is little chance that you will find this special IFA W.50.L fire truck, because the type is now very rare. As a hobby wrench, Pieter has acquired the necessary knowledge about this type of truck and would like to inform us.

By: Dirk de Jong

Pieter: “The IFA name includes many brands from the former GDR. IFA therefore stands for Industrieverband Fahrzeugbau, and this includes many brands, such as the well-known Trabant and Wartburg. IFA was therefore an umbrella organization. My fire truck is therefore simply called W.50, and the type name W.50 refers to the place where it was designed (Werdau).”

Available until 2017

This special IFA W.50.L was in service until 2017 in Thürmsdorf near Dresden. There the car was offered at an auction and bought by a Dutchman, after which the truck came to Burum (Fr) via Den Bosch and Pieter discovered it.

Conversion to camper

The conversion process has been going on for two years now. Because the car was bought fully equipped, it takes a lot of energy and time to make it fit the camping wishes of owners Pieter and Gretha. For example, the extension is used as a sleeping area and the large double cabin can be used as a living area. There are no windows in the extension. Pieter would like to keep the exterior in its original condition as much as possible, and privacy is therefore guaranteed.

'flaming' love

Red is the color of warmth, the color of the heart and of course the color of love. After the conversion, the IFA W.50.L can no longer be used as a fire extinguisher. That is not necessary, because the 'flaming' love between Pieter and Gretha can no longer be extinguished. The goal is pure hobby fun, visiting old-timer events and small trips at home and abroad during holidays. What else do you want…

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5 comments

  1. I am the one who bought it a few years ago in Germany directly from the fire brigade we then drove it home in 1 day was a great experience

  2. What a fun story! The IFA W50 was a strong and versatile all-rounder in the GDR. The 4-cyl direct injection diesel engine (according to MAN principle) had 125 HP. At the time I traveled with me when I picked up this IFA at the fire station in Thürmsdorf. A fun and adventurous trip, as this LF16 / “Florian Thürmsdorf” normally did not come out of the “Sächsische Schweiz”. However, he came to the Netherlands by road without any problems. I wish Pieter and Gretha a lot of fun with their W50 and hope to meet the old bolt again.

  3. Hallo,

    No technical knowledge? Diesel petrol? Powertrain? Is it convenient to drive to the south of France with such a thing? In short: there are still quite a lot of crucial things to mention.

  4. Is there more information about the technology of this W50??
    There is probably no Trabant engine in it. Assume that only the rear wheels are driven?? Does it run on diesel or does it run on gas?

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