Any series that uses Major Tom (Coming Home) by Peter Schilling for the opening can’t be bad at all!
Taking place during the 1980s chapter of the Cold War, Deutschland 83 (‘Deutschland’ is German for ‘Germany’, ‘83’ for 1983) is about a young East Germany soldier that went from confiscating illegal literature to becoming a spy in the offices of high-ranking West German military personnel so he can gather information on what was going on with the nuclear weaponry. Naturally, anything involving nuclear warfare quickly gets complicated, on both sides of the Berlin Wall, on a military level as well as on a personal level.
The series was wonderfully crafted. There was no glaring stand outs of anything that didn’t belong there, everything from the wardrobe, to the furnishings, to the music (oh, that sweet, sweet music!) was spot-on. There are well-funded movies that mess this up (*coughs* Dallas Buyers Club *coughs*). But let’s be realistic here, there will be anachronisms. As the series gets airtime in Germany (it aired first in the U.S. market), they’ll begin to pop and be pointed out. A greater learning experience, in my eyes.
Yes, there will be the inevitable comparison to The Americans, but this series has another thing going for it: It’s German. This must certainly help the period portrayal of both sides of The Berlin Wall as well as a fresh perspective to the Cold War that isn’t North American, not to mention a fresh portrayal of life in Germany in the 1980s; things that I was curious about when the series was first announced on Sundance TV. Oh, and it’s in German, the first series to be aired that way on North-American television. Get used to reading subtitles.
While I found that the ending had a bitter-sweet (more on the bitter side, IMO) open-ish ending, I still want more of it. Let’s hope that the rumors of two more seasons (said to be called Deutschland 86 and Deutschland 89) become real.
When Martin Rauch assumed the identity of Moritz Stamm, this is what he drove when not chauffeuring his boss, a 1983 Opel Rekord, a series E2 (post-facelift), the last generation of Rekord. A
German Army-buff at IMCDb says that these cars were used by high-ranking officials. I guess that being the General’s aide-de-camp has its benefits? Fellow integrated spy Karl Kramer also had a
Rekord E2, an ’82. In case you’re wondering, that’s the front end of a
two-door Mk I Volkswagen Golf West-Berlin police car.
This is what the boss –General Wolfgang Edel- drives and what Martin/Moritz chauffeured on long trips, a W123 Mercedes-Benz 230E. Different shots of the car’s interior show just how pristine this example is.
The Citroen CX that’s pulling in the fake (according to German viewers) Esso gas station belongs to Lenora Rauch, Martin’s chain-smoking aunt and the one that suggested Martin for spy work, done so Martin’s mother Ingrid could get fast-tracked for medical treatment. Given that Lenora works as the Cultural Attaché of East German Embassy, it explains the unique choice of ride. BTW, that’s a Winnebago Minnie Winnie to the right of the printscreen.
Of course we can’t talk about East Germany without referring to the Trabant! This one belongs to Ingrid Rauch. Another character, Thomas, apparently has one, specifically a Trabant 601 Universal. Ingrid sometimes lets Thomas borrow hers. (spoiler alert) These little Trabis have a little secret in their trunks: forbidden books.
VAZ 2103 Zhiguli/Lada 1500s, like the one on the right, also appear multiple times. One was used by the East German Embassy.
Last, but not least, the moped is a Simson Schwalbe. All that’s missing from this picture are a Moskvitch and a Wartburg for a full set of everyday Commie-cars. 
In my opinion, early Volgas are one of the most beautiful cars to come out of Russia. That’s reason enough to put up this picture of the GAZ 24 Volga Lenora rode in. 
This Karmann Ghia belongs to Ursula, wife of General Wolfgang Edel. While she didn’t receive a lot of dialogue in relation to the rest of the cast, her actions spoke louder than words, caring very much about her family (she’s on her way to save her son’s hide in the scene above).
Volkswagens seem to run in the Edel family. Daughter Yvonne Edel moves around in a red more-door Volkswagen Golf. He lent it to his brother Alex (above), who used it to do very stupid things. The blue car is an Opel Commodore GS B. Can’t make out the silver one, though.
I expected more participation from Renate, Ursula’s alcoholic train-wreck of a sister, and her BMW 2002 used in a comedic matter (hopefully without wrecking it). It’s because of her tendency to hit the sauce that no one listens to her about her suspicions of Martin. 
No, the van is not trying to become Mythbusters fodder; they’re just a bunch of college kids/pacifists/protesters going to an anti-nuclear missile protest. It’s a Renault R4 F6 Fourgonette (Van), the dimensionally bigger (inside and out) and square-ish version of the R4 Fourgonettes. They’re also called Transporters in Germany. Honestly, I cannot imagine a more appropriate vehicle for that type of group, outside of the VW Bus and Beetle, which let’s face it, have been done to death.
Here, have a close-up.
Following them in the Alfa Romeo is one of the professors/organizers -and East German secret agent/Martin’s handler- Tobias Tischbier. I really like the clear headlight covers. It’s said to be a 1970. Maybe this behind-the-scenes- photo can help. Inside that little red convertible, he received a soul-shaking confession from a minor character that showed one of the darker sides of the 1980s. 
(spoiler) Tischbier also had at his disposal a W123 Mercedes-Benz that was used to… silence a character. Since his face was not shown, it’s safe to assume that Tischbier didn’t personally use this machine. An unused shot (promo?) shows another actor. He could’ve contacted someone near the area to… clean up the mess, probably someone that was already keeping an eye on the fated character with this car as the stake-out vehicle.
The military base in which Martin is assigned appears often onscreen for obvious reasons, whether inside the offices, mess hall, sleeping quarters, the field, etc. But it’s in this picture that we can see the vehicles. Eagle-eyed viewers will spot the two Mercedes-Benz Unimogs. Those cab-over-engine trucks on the right are MAN KAT1’s. These come in different varieties like 4x4, 6x6 and even 8x8! But I’m pretty sure you are all wondering -like I did- what the vehicle on the front is…
It’s called a Volkswagen Type 183, aka the Iltis. Meaning ‘polecat’ in German, the Iltis is the descendant of the Volkswagen Type 181 -aka the Thing- and the DKW Munga. It’s a lightweight vehicle powered by a 1.7L petrol/1.6L diesel engine with 4WD engineered by Audi. If you thought finding a Volkswagen Thing was hard, there were less than 10,000 of these produced over its 10-year production cycle including civilian versions, which are rarer still! Try Canada, they got like 300 or so. This was the first time I’ve seen such a vehicle.
With all this foreign-to-my-eyes military equipment and vehicles, seeing a Chevrolet Caprice Classic was a blind-siding surprise. But when one thinks about it, it’s not uncommon for foreign ambassadors and their like to be chauffeured around in vehicles from their homeland, so why should North-American General Arnold Jackson’s method of transportation be any different? Look closely and one can see the Euro-spec taillight clusters.
This sedan belongs to a relatively minor character that carried not-so-minor information. It’s called the Audi 100, but the North American market knows it by another name: the 5000. The car’s so sleek and clean that I just had to include it!
That’s the show’s protagonist, Martin Rauch, walking past a tasty 1983 BMW 7-Series. It’s just a background car, but it was used in the commercials that visually enticed me to check this series out (the use of the song Blue Monday by New Order was definitely the attention-getter, though.).
In the show, not long after passing the BMW, an explosion took place. Martin rushed out to find part of a building to have been blown. This was the Maison de France explosion in West Berlin, a true event. 1983 was not an easy year for France, either. Martin chases down the individual responsible for triggering the explosions and takes care of him.
Amidst the rubble we can clearly see the unmistakable silhouette of a 3rd-gen Pontiac Firebird. I should know, I have ‘em as a computer desktop wallpaper! Must’ve been in a real sorry state to end up as a prop of this nature. Heck, the film crew even stood on top of it for a better shot! Regardless, it’s a real shame that this car ended up like this. I don’t think those crosslace wheels are period-correct. It’s an export car because of the different sideview mirrors (they fold, like a GTA’s).
While looking up pics for this car, I found a promo pic with an interior shot. Judging by the steering wheel, I’ve deduced that it’s an ’88-90 Firebird, possibly even a Formula. This is the only inconsistency that I was able to find in the show, but that’s because a) I’m a Pontiac fan and b) I found that promo pic. 
The last vehicle Martin drove in West Berlin was a 1982 Volkswagen Passat Variant B2. The U.S. market knows it as the Volkswagen Quantum. It was the last vehicle he drove over there because it was his getaway vehicle. While being chased on foot, he quickly got inside the wagon, started it and got away. Martin drove it at night in the rain as he made his mad dash to East Germany, to the soundtrack of Billy Idol’s White Wedding, a song that no one knows what it’s about (and frankly, I don’t care what it is about anymore). Alas, not even this mighty station wagon estate car was able to out run radio transmissions, as a manhunt has been issued and security tightened at the border crossings.
Ditching the Passat, Martin sneaks in another wagon, a Ford Granada Turnier MkII estate, Turnier being the wagon version, though the direct translation of the word means ‘Tournament’. Once inside it, he sneaks into East Germany (oh, the irony…). On the rest stop, there’s also a 1982 Fiat Ritmo 138A, a Citroen BX and a Peugeot 305, whose owner’s checking the oil and such in another scene. Funny, the only German car here has a Ford badge on it. These Granadas were all assembled in Cologne, Germany.
This is the last car Martin rode in the series, a government-issue VAZ 2103 Zhiguli/Lada 1500, “borrowed” from a Stasi (East Germany police) guard. (spoilers) Martin is leaving off Ivonne in front of the West Germany Embassy, as she basically toured right into the hornet’s nest of Martin’s spy work and personal life. Then it was off to save the world from World War 3!
--Tigerstrypes
References:
Deutschland 83 title card: www.serienjunkies.de
General’s Mercedes-Benz, Citroen, Karmann Ghia, Alfa Romeos, West German base, Golf: printscreen
Volkswagen Type 183 Iltis, Trabi, black Mercedes-Benz, Caprice Classic, Audi, BMW 2002 and 7-Series, Volkswagen Passat Variant, Ford Granada Estate, Lada: IMCDb.com
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