Will Self embarks on a 700 mile road trip in a Trabant, the iconic East German car.

Starting in London, Will plans to drive all the way to where the car was manufactured in Zwickau, Germany.

Will's travelling companion - and the instigator of this strange road trip - is his childhood friend Mike Shamash, a person of restricted growth.

Mike's fascinated by all things East German and hopes that the Trabant will yield a more nuanced picture of life behind the Iron Curtain. Will remains unconvinced.

The pair have barely left Broadcasting House before it dawns on them that 700 miles is a long way to drive in this flimsy, noisy and cramped car.

Producer: Laurence Grissell

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2016. Show less