The typical procedure was to order one "just in case", because even if you don't need it for yourself you can still sell it "used" for a nice profit. My father for instance "traded" his new Trabant for a used Volga M21, which was a much bigger but also older Soviet car (and later sold this Volga to a Russian soldier returning back to the motherland, and "upgraded" to a used Shiguli, aka Lada 1500 - which was a really fine car considering the "competition" :)

Romanian here, there were Trabants around here too but I always viewed as somewhat exotic. Typical car was built locally: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dacia_1300

Also had to wait for years to buy one. In fact you had to pay it upfront and then maybe in 5 years you'd get it.