84-552: The Tatra 77 (T77) is one of the first serial-produced, truly aerodynamically-designed automobiles, produced by Czechoslovakian company Tatra from 1934 to 1938. It was developed by Hans Ledwinka and Paul Jaray , the Zeppelin aerodynamic engineer. Launched in 1934, the Tatra 77 is a coach-built automobile, constructed on a platform chassis with a pressed box-section steel backbone rather than Tatra's trademark tubular chassis , and
168-584: A Benz automobile purchased by von Röslerstamm as inspiration, the company built its first car, the Präsident , under the direction of engineers Hans Ledwinka and Edmund Rumpler . The Präsident was exhibited in Vienna later that year. The company began taking orders for cars, and between 1897 and 1900, nine improved cars based on the Präsident were made. The first car to be completely designed by Ledwinka
252-505: A GVM 2,100 kg (4,630 lb) and 4,000 kg (8,818 lb) GCM , TL-4 had 2,700 kg (5,952 lb) GVM and 6,700 kg (14,771 lb) GCM respectively. Both types remained in production in small series until 1927. The TL-4 is considered the first truck to come out of NW (Nesselsdorfer Wagen-bau) to carry the name Tatra in 1919. After the introduction of Tatra 11 and Tatra 12 cars with their distinctive backbone tube design and swing axles, Tatra introduced its first truck on
336-415: A crank case made from elektron , a magnesium alloy. The gearbox was also made from elektron, and it was positioned in front of the engine and rear axle. The rear position of the engine was favourable for air cooling, while the oil cooler , battery and spare wheel were positioned in the front of the car. The frameless body was characterized by its central structural member, which was firmly welded to
420-569: A 1:5 model of Tatra 77 was recorded as 0.2455. The later model T77a, introduced in 1935, has a top speed of over 150 km/h (93 mph) due to its advanced aerodynamic design which delivers an exceptionally low drag coefficient of 0.212. Sources claim that this is the coefficient of a 1:5 scale model, not of the car itself, so the actual drag coefficient may have been slightly higher. The Tatra Company began manufacturing cars in 1897 in Kopřivnice , Moravia , in today's Czech Republic , making it
504-462: A T-613 ambulance. When talk show host and car collector Jay Leno visited the museum, the founder picked him up in a 1947 Tatra 87, prompting Leno to purchase one himself. Leno soon became an advocate for the brand. In the United States, the few Tatra clubs are closely associated with Citroën clubs, as many Tatra collectors also collect Citroën DS series cars . A Tatra 87 is on exhibit at
588-564: A Tatra 623 V8 engine with inlet manifold injection producing 225 kW at 6500 rpm. It accelerates from 0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.6 seconds. The top speed is 265 kilometres per hour (165 mph). The Czech designer Václav Král designed this vehicle, with only five ever produced. In February 2008, Tatra announced the world's first and only air-cooled engine meeting the then forthcoming Euro 5 emissions standards. The press release claims 7.5 times lower emissions of particulates and 3.5 times lower emission of nitrogen oxides compared to
672-684: A Tatra Type 928 V-8 air-cooled diesel engine, though this order was delayed so production could continue uninterrupted. After the war the T111 contributed heavily to the rebuilding effort in Central and Eastern Europe and a memorial was built at Magadan , Siberia , for its exploits in the Far East of the USSR . The decision to replace the reliable but ageing T111 was taken in 1952 based on central planning economy of socialist government where directive
756-550: A company specializing in developing streamlined car bodies and selling issuing licences to major vehicle manufacturers. Tatra was the only manufacturer to incorporate Jaray's streamlining principles into their series car production, starting with the Tatra 77. Before designing the large, luxurious T77, Jaray designed an aerodynamic body for the Tatra 57 , a mid-range model. This prototype was not developed further and failed to reach production. Instead, Jaray constructed two prototypes for
840-510: A completely new car, the Type S , which was equipped with a 3308 cc 4-cylinder engine. In 1912, production was badly affected by a strike that lasted 23 weeks, and von Röslerstamm left the company. In 1916, Ledwinka left the company again, this time to work for one of its competitors, Steyr-Werke in Graz . In 1919 the company began using the Tatra brand for its cars. In 1921 the company
924-464: A concept designated the Tatra V570 , which more closely conformed to his aerodynamic streamlining principles, featuring a beetle-shaped body . However, at the time Tatra already had a cheap, strongly-selling car in its production range, which was moreover popular due to its continuation of the tradition of simplicity and ultra-reliability inaugurated by the Tatra 11 . Although Tatra management saw
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#17328008290961008-519: A modernization of the company and its production models. Following extensive testing at different sites, including Siberia, the type T815 was introduced in 1982 with production starting in 1983. The T815 was made of 142 main assembly components as opposed to the 219 main assembly components of its predecessor. The engine's power output was increased by up to 45% and a new COE tiltable cabin was introduced. Modular engine designs resulted in offerings of V8, V10 or V12 engines with or without turbocharger. T815
1092-509: A more powerful 4-cylinder flat air-cooled engine and in six-wheeler chassis created capable offroad light utility truck which later evolved into T72 model which was heavily used by Czechoslovakian army at the time and was also manufactured under license by the French company Lorraine-Dietrich. In 1933 Tatra built a limited series of T25 heavy artillery hauler with 4 and 6-cylinder petrol engines. The most popular Tatra truck before World War II
1176-599: A new model, the Tatra 600 Tatraplan was designed—the name celebrating the new Communist planned economy and the aeroplane inspiration (Colloq. Czech: aeroplán). It went into production in 1948. In 1951, the state planning department decided that the Tatraplan should henceforth be built at the Škoda plant in Mladá Boleslav , leaving Tatra free to concentrate on trucks, buses and railway equipment. In 1953, amid much dissatisfaction among Communist party leaders with
1260-461: A putatively new vehicle to replace another older T603. This makes it difficult to trace the history of surviving vehicles. In 1968 a replacement was developed: the Tatra 613 . It was styled by the Italian styling house of Vignale and was a more modern, less rounded shape. It was not until 1973 that the car went into production, and volume production did not begin until the following year. Although
1344-417: A revolutionary approach to the conception of the new car: First of all it was their aim to reduce drag , mostly air-drag, which increases with the square of the speed. A car with a more standard body shape of the era needed a very powerful engine to reach higher speeds. The Tatra's new body shape was tested in a wind tunnel . However, the new requirements this brought about resulted in far-reaching changes to
1428-476: A sensation that has just fallen from the skies, but is a logical extension of roads [themselves], which Hans Ledwinka made thirteen years ago. The ideological principle of the new Tatra is an understanding that the car is moving along the dividing line between the ground and the air. ... The car maintained 145km/h, it has astonishing handling, it drives through curves with speeds that are both mad and safe, and it seems just to float on any kind of road. ... It
1512-405: A single-piece windscreen or even one formed from three separate pieces of glass with one large central piece and two side parts angled sharply and flowing into the sides of the body. Air was directed to the engine by rectangular ventilation inlets behind the side windows, and exited the engine compartment through vents at the rear. At the time, Tatra registered numerous patents regarding air flow to
1596-881: A successor to the T77, which was to be lighter and have improved weight distribution. Tatra achieved that with the Tatra 87 that was introduced in 1936. A Tatra 77 features in the 1935 film The Tunnel at 17:23, and again at 58:30. A 1936 Tatra 77 was shown at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London from November 2019 to April 2020 included in their exhibition "Cars: Accelerating the Modern World". Streamlined Tatras Margolius, Ivan & Henry, John G., Tatra - The Legacy of Hans Ledwinka , Veloce Publishing, Dorchester 2015, ISBN 978-1-845847-99-9 & ISBN 978-1-787116-30-6 Tatra (company) Tatra
1680-426: A trickle of just a few dozen per year towards the end of production as Tatras began to seem more and more outdated. The Tatra 700 was a large luxury car released in 1996 by Tatra. It was essentially a heavily restyled version of the Tatra 613 model it replaced, with updated body panels and detailing. The T700 was offered as both a saloon and coupé with either a 3.5 or 4.4 litre 90° air-cooled V8 petrol engine. The model
1764-463: A white Tatra 603, custom-fitted with air conditioning. Tatra 603s were built until 1975, a twenty-year reign as one of communism's finest cars. Numerous improvements were made during its production run, although not all vehicles built were actually new but rather reconditioned. In exchange for a newer model year car, the older vehicle was returned to the factory. There, it was upgraded to current model year specifications, refinished, and sent out again as
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#17328008290961848-439: Is 0.36. The Tatra 77 was a hand-built car with a leather interior. Some cars had a glass partition between the front and rear seats. A sliding roof was available. An unusual feature on a few of the T77 models was a central position for the steering wheel in the dashboard. The front-seat passengers were seated on either side of the driver and the seats placed slightly rearwards as in the modern-day McLaren F1 . All other T77's had
1932-610: Is a Czech vehicle manufacturer from Kopřivnice . It is owned by the TATRA TRUCKS a.s. company, and it is the third oldest company in the world producing motor vehicles with an unbroken history. The company was founded in 1850 as Ignatz Schustala & Cie . In 1890 the company became a joint-stock company and was renamed the Nesselsdorfer Wagenbau-Fabriksgesellschaft . In 1897, the Nesselsdorfer Wagenbau-Fabriksgesellschaft produced
2016-475: Is a car which opens new perspectives to car construction and automotive practice. That is the car for my highways! The Tatra 77 was the particular favourite of Tatra design engineer Erich Übelacker , who owned and used a T77 himself from 1934. Other famous owners of T77s were Miloš Havel , the proprietor of the film studios in Prague , who bought a T77 in 1935, Austrian car designer Edmund Rumpler , who designed
2100-461: Is powered by a 60 horsepower (45 kW) rear-mounted 2.97-litre air-cooled V8 engine, in later series increased to a 75 horsepower (56 kW) 3.4-litre engine. It possessed advanced engineering features, such as overhead valves, hemispherical combustion chambers, a dry sump , fully independent suspension, rear swing axles and extensive use of lightweight magnesium alloy for the engine, transmission, suspension and body. The average drag coefficient of
2184-416: Is that the mechanical layout is much less obvious to the observer, with the big box-shaped engine giving few immediate clues to its V configuration, unlike its T87 OHC successor. Belt-driven squirrel fans in cast alloy ducting draw air forward, up and around the four shrouded pairs of finned iron cylinders, and a large hinged alloy cover maintains a warm environment for the carburettor in winter. Hans Ledwinka
2268-539: Is the T817 (T815-7), marketed primarily toward the armed services of NATO member countries as a high-mobility heavy-duty tactical truck with a low profile cabin for C-130 Hercules transportability. During the 1990s, Tatra decided to produce a bonneted CBE heavy duty off-road truck to continue the successful line started with the T111. This resulted in the T163 Jamal , which was put into full production in 1999 after
2352-685: Is the car for my roads". From 1933 onwards, Ledwinka and Porsche met regularly to discuss their designs, and Porsche admitted "Well, sometimes I looked over his shoulder and sometimes he looked over mine" while designing the Volkswagen . There is no doubt that the Beetle bore a striking resemblance to the Tatras, particularly the Tatra V570 . The Tatra 97 of 1936 had a rear-located, rear-wheel drive, air-cooled four-cylinder boxer engine accommodating four passengers and providing luggage storage under
2436-648: The Euro II emission limits. Following further improvements in 2003, the T815 had the new Euro III T3C V8 engine mated to all new 14-speed range+split gearbox as well as an option for engines from other suppliers such as Caterpillar , Cummins , Detroit Diesel , Deutz and MTU to be fitted. In September 2006, Tatra introduced its Euro IV compliant turbocharged T3D engine with the SCR exhaust technology and in February 2008
2520-493: The Minneapolis Institute of Arts . The first truck manufactured at Kopřivnice in 1898 was a flatbed with two liquid-cooled side-by-side-mounted two-cylinder Benz engines each at 2.7 L capacity with total power output of 8.8 kW (12 hp) placed after the rear axle and cargo capacity of 2.5 ton. The unique feature of the engines setup was that the engines could be operated sequentially depending on
2604-579: The Präsident , which was the first factory-produced automobile with a petrol engine to be made in Central and Eastern Europe. The First Truck was made a year later, in 1898. In 1918, the company was renamed Kopřivnická vozovka a.s. , and in 1919 it changed from the Nesselsdorfer marque to the Tatra badge, named after the nearby Tatra Mountains on the Czechoslovak - Polish border (now on
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2688-452: The T813 off-road truck using its modular construction technology; the model incorporated the latest trends in commercial vehicle design such as cab-over-engine (COE) and wide profile tyres. It featured a new V12 engine and all military versions had a central tyre inflation/deflation system as standard equipment. The T813 was designed to tow loads up to 100 ton GCM and it was a familiar sight on
2772-479: The Tatra 817 , intended primarily for military operators, and the Tatra Phoenix (Tatra chassis with DAF cabin and Paccar water-cooled engine), aimed primarily for the civilian market. In 2023, the company plans to produce over 2,000 trucks. In 1850, Ignaz Schustala founded " Ignatz Schustala & Cie " in Kopřivnice , and the company entered the business of manufacturing horse-drawn vehicles . In
2856-456: The 1880s, the company began manufacturing railroad cars . In 1890, the company became a joint-stock company , and was renamed the Nesselsdorfer Wagenbau-Fabriksgesellschaft . Also that year, Hugo Fischer von Röslerstamm became the company's technical director. After Schustala's death in 1891, von Röslerstamm took over the management of the business. In 1897, the company began creation of an automobile with an internal combustion engine. Using
2940-471: The Polish- Slovak border). In the interwar period, Tatra came to international prominence with its line of affordable cars based on backbone tube chassis and air-cooled engines , starting with Tatra 11 (1923). The company also became the pioneer of automotive aerodynamics, starting with Tatra 77 (1934). Following the 1938 German-Czechoslovak war and Munich Agreement , the town of Kopřivnice
3024-600: The Tatra 903, were shown. Unlike most Eastern Bloc manufacturers, Tatra enjoyed modest sales success in Western Europe, where its truck line had a reputation for simplicity and durability. No effort was made to distribute Tatra's unusual automobiles in the West, though a small number did find their way to collectors in Western Europe, and even to the United States. The end of the Cold War did not help Tatra's fortunes, as
3108-514: The Tatra I6 air-cooled engine – one half of the T111 V12 one) medium off-road truck with T810 which technically is not a "genuine" Tatra as its origin goes back to when former Czech company ROSS, in partnership with Renault Trucks, obtained a contract to supply the army with medium size off-road trucks, the "ROSS R210 6×6". The company however went bankrupt in 1998 and Tatra bought full rights to
3192-478: The Tatra was presented at Berlin motor show, where it became the centre of attention due not only to its atypical design but also to its performance. That same year the T77 was presented at the Paris motor show. There were even demonstration rides after doubt was cast on the ability of the car to reach 140 kilometres per hour (87 mph) with a mere 45 kilowatts (60 hp) of engine power: normally at that time twice
3276-467: The Volkswagen Beetle date back to 1925. After the 1938 invasion of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany , Tatras were kept in production, largely because Germans liked the cars. Many German officers died in car accidents caused by driving the heavy, rear-engined Tatras faster around corners than they could handle . At the time, as an anecdote, Tatra became known as the 'Czech Secret Weapon' for
3360-473: The advantages of Jaray's concept, they believed that the new model would make sense only as an additional model with limited production, which meant that it should be aimed at the top of the automobile market. Ledwinka's team subsequently stopped work on the V570 and concentrated on designing large luxury cars. Tatra aimed to make state-of-the-art cars that would be fast, stable, nearly silent, economical and built to
3444-400: The aerodynamic Rumpler Tropfenwagen in 1921, Edvard Beneš , the 1930s minister of Foreign Affairs and later president of Czechoslovakia, who both owned a T77a. A number of designers around the world were trying to construct an aerodynamic car at the time, but Tatra was the first one to successfully introduce it into serial production. There were numerous reasons why Tatra designers took such
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3528-502: The car's design. The requirement of a small front face area limited the car's height, which in turn required the use of a flat floor. That led to putting the engine in the rear of the car, directly above the driven axle. Subsequently there was no need for a floor tunnel with a drive shaft and exhaust pipes, which contributed to a reduction in weight. As the designers wanted to reduce the rolling resistance , they did their best to produce an engine as light as possible: an air-cooled V8 with
3612-521: The chassis from T30 named Tatra T43 which remain popular with small business owners. T72 model successfully continued the line to T82 built mainly for military in cargo and personnel transport between 1935 and 1938 and further to T92 and T93 built for the Romanian army from 1938 to 1941 which were identical except T93 had also a driven front axle. Following the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia
3696-619: The company introduced the world's first Euro V -compliant air-cooled diesel engine based on the T3D engine. The T816 (T815-6) Armax and Force series, derivatives of Tatra 815, were introduced in 1993 after Tatra participated in the tender process to supply heavy duty off-road trucks to the UAE armed forces . After two years of bidding, the company secured a contract worth $ 180 million. The resulting model became known as T816 "LIWA" ( Arabic for "desert"). The latest model intended for military customers
3780-705: The company made no inroads in Western Europe's already crowded automobile market. The introduction of competitors, such as Mercedes-Benz and Peugeot into the Czech Republic, further eroded Tatra's sales. Production of passenger cars ended in 1999. Among Western collectors, Tatra automobiles remain largely unknown. The largest display of Tatra vehicles in the United States is at the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee . The museum's eclectic automobile collection contains 12 Tatra models, including
3864-404: The company was renamed " Závody Tatra ". The Tatra 17 , released in 1925, featured a 1930 cc water-cooled six-cylinder engine, and fully independent suspension. In 1926, the Tatra 11 was succeeded by the Tatra 12 , which was similar to the Tatra 11, but was equipped with four-wheel brakes. In 1927 the company was renamed " Ringhoffer-Tatra ". Tatra's specialty was luxury cars using
3948-523: The design, then modernized and reintroduced it as T810 while continuing cooperation with Renault. Under the deal Renault supplies the cabins and the engines and Praga supplied axles and transmissions for the prototypes; however, the whole project has been dogged by controversy due to the way Tatra had obtained the contract, its relationship with supplier Praga and the subsequent court case brought against it by Praga. Erich %C3%9Cbelacker Erich Übelacker (19 October 1899 Vienna – 30 June 1977 Bremen)
4032-506: The engine placed above front axle which is the conventional design to this day. The vehicle featured solid rubber tyres and semi-elliptic leaf spring suspension. In 1910 Tatra manufactured its first bus the Omnibus type SO with total production of five units. The first true serial truck production at Tatra was instigated by the beginning of World War I . In the year 1914 there were only two trucks made, type T 14/40 HP; however by 1915's end
4116-480: The first prototypes were built in 1997 and following extensive testing. The T163 was purpose-built to be a heavy duty dump truck due to demand, and was based on Tatra's signature backbone tube chassis construction with its cabin being designed by Jiří Španihel. The truck is used mainly on construction sites and in quarries. Tatra was also a successful bidder for the Czech Army replacement of aging Praga V3S (with
4200-399: The floor panels and which covered the linkage to the brakes, gearbox, etc. The front of the car had a basically rectangular cross section and was rounded all the way to the floor. The front bumper covered the rounded fenders, while the lower halves of the lights were embedded in the bonnet. The rear of the car had a continuously sloping form and was divided by a vertical fin which started at
4284-719: The front bonnet and behind the rear seat. Another similarity between this Tatra and the Beetle is the central structural tunnel. Tatra launched a lawsuit against Volkswagen for patent infringement, but this was stopped when Germany invaded Czechoslovakia . At the same time, Tatra was forced to stop producing the T97. The matter was re-opened after World War II and in 1965 Volkswagen paid the Ringhoffer family DM 1,000,000 in an out of court settlement. Tatra and Volkswagen's body design were preceded by similar designs of Hungarian automotive engineer Bela Barenyi , whose sketches resembling
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#17328008290964368-560: The large Tatra 77 , the world's first production aerodynamic car. The average drag coefficient of a 1:5 model of the fastback Tatra 77 was recorded as 0.2455. It featured (as did almost all subsequent big Tatras) a rear-mounted , air-cooled V8 engine . Both Adolf Hitler and Ferdinand Porsche were influenced by the Tatras. Hitler was a keen automotive enthusiast, and had ridden in Tatras during political tours of Czechoslovakia. He had also dined numerous times with Ledwinka. After one of these dinners Hitler remarked to Porsche, "This
4452-439: The large automobile mass producers such as Volkswagen, Škoda, Toyota etc. But we might come back with a replica of the old Tatra cars using a current undercarriage and driveline from one of the major automotive producers." The company has launched a feasibility study, hoping to produce one thousand replicas of their legendary Tatraplan and 603 cars in 2010. In July 2008 pictures of a fuel cell concept car designed by Mike Jelinek,
4536-450: The layout remained the same, the body was all new, as was the engine, which was equipped with four overhead camshafts, a higher capacity motor (3495 cc) and an output close to 165 bhp (123 kW; 167 PS). In addition, it had been moved somewhat forward for improved balance. These cars were built in five series and went through several modifications until production ceased in 1996. Over 11,000 cars were built, and sales slowed to
4620-441: The load requirements. No 1 engine was started via a cranking handle and had a flywheel attached and No 2 engine without the flywheel was connected via a gear clutch and started by the first engine already running. The second truck manufactured was once again a flatbed R type of 2.5 ton cargo capacity built in 1909. Powered by liquid-cooled petrol four-cylinder engine of 4.1 L capacity and power output of 18.4 kW (25 hp) with
4704-506: The most recent technology, going from air-cooled flat-twins to fours and sixes, culminating (briefly) with the OHC 6-litre V12 in 1931. In the 1930s, under the supervision of Austrian engineer Hans Ledwinka , his son Erich and German engineer Erich Übelacker , and protected by high tariffs and absence of foreign assemblers, Tatra began building advanced, streamlined cars after obtaining licences from Paul Jaray , which started in 1934 with
4788-401: The most rigorous engineering standards, as well as reflect modern aerodynamic research. The T77/77A cars were quite probably the last production use of the "walking-beam" valvetrain principle, their dry-sump air/oil-cooled V8 engines having overhead valves in hemispherical heads, but no pushrods. Instead the valves are opened by enormous drilled rockers operated by a single high camshaft between
4872-425: The poor-quality official cars imported from Russia, Tatra was again given permission to produce a luxury car, the Tatra 603 . Much like Tatra's prewar cars, it was driven by a rear-mounted, air-cooled V8 and had the company's trademark aerodynamic styling. The Tatra 603 initially featured three headlights and the first prototypes had a central rear stabilising fin, though this feature was lost on production vehicles. It
4956-423: The power was required for a car to reach such a speed. Director Maurice Elvey was so amazed by the looks of the car that he used the T77 in his science-fiction movie The Transatlantic Tunnel . The Tatra 77 was an expensive luxury car – a price was 98,000 koruns (equal to some 4,000 USD in 1935).. It is a sensation when it comes to its construction, to its appearance and to its performance. However, it isn't
5040-404: The previous engine. Further, production of air-cooled engines should significantly reduce the production of greenhouse gases due to the absence of liquid cooling systems. All Tatra vehicles from February 2008 onwards should use the new engine. A month later, Tatra CEO Ronald Adams told The Prague Post Tatra could return to producing passenger cars, saying: "We would not come back to compete with
5124-510: The previous models. The TerrNo1 was based on the same frame as the previous models, so its cabin could be retrofitted to all type T815s built since 1993. In 2000, the TerrNo1 cabin was again redesigned, and for the first time there was an option to fit liquid-cooled engines. The TerrNo1 model introduced the 'KingFrame rear axle suspension setup. Another step in evolution for the T3B engine came with
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#17328008290965208-644: The production at Kopřivnice was annexed by the Germans for the supply of trucks needed by the Wehrmacht . Apart from the existing line up of T27, T92/92 a new heavy truck, the T81 , commenced production featuring liquid-cooled 12.5 L V8 diesel engine with a power output of 118 kW (160 PS; 158 hp), in 6×4 axle configuration. This vehicle evolved in 1942 into the T111 which continued in production until 1962, with
5292-576: The production jumped to a total of 105 TL-2 units, and the following year, 1916, the numbers rose to a total of 196 TL-2 and 30 TL-4 . Production peaked in 1917 with 19 TL-2 and 303 TL-4 models, but then production declined, and a similar number of vehicles of one type manufactured in a year was not achieved or surpassed until 1936 with the T 27 model. Technically models TL-2 and TL-4 were almost identically designed; in fact TL-4 evolved from TL-2 where both had liquid-cooled OHC engines of max power output of 25.7 kW (35 PS; 34 hp). The TL-2 had
5376-409: The rear end of the roof and ended almost at the rear end of the car. The rear wheels had aerodynamic covers. The door handles were embedded into the door panels, from which only the door hinges protruded slightly. The car had no rear window, limiting rear visibility to what could be discerned through slits in the sheet metal. The first prototype of 1933 had a split windscreen, while other prototypes had
5460-536: The rear engine compartment. Later the rear part of the body was widened so that both the rear fenders and door hinges were embedded into the bodywork itself. The air now flowed through transverse inlets which were raised above the rear of the rounded roof. The trailing edge was also raised. In 1935 the T77 was updated and improved, which resulted in the T77a. The capacity of the V8 was increased to 3.4 L (207 cubic inches). This
5544-413: The reflector to move to illuminate the kerbs, as street illumination was poor at the time. Some T77s and T77a models were also equipped with canvas Webasto roofs. The smooth body of the T77a gave a coefficient of aerodynamic drag of 0.212. Some sources, though, claim that this figure was based on a 1:10 scale-model test, and it has been confirmed recently that the drag coefficient for the real full-size car
5628-540: The roads in Czechoslovakia hauling large, often over-sized loads. The Tatra 815 was designed for extreme off-road conditions, and its road versions are derived from the off-road original. After the 53rd session of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance , a directive was issued that Tatra N.P. would be the sole supplier of off-road commercial vehicles of <12 ton capacity for Eastern Bloc countries, leading to
5712-399: The same basis, the light utility Tatra 13 powered by 2-cylinder air-cooled petrol engine with power output 8.8 kW (12 hp) and 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) cargo capacity. Further models followed, and in 1926, T23 and T24 were introduced, nicknamed "bulldogs", which could be considered Tatra's precursors to COE designed trucks. Improved version T13 was introduced as T26 with
5796-622: The scores of officers who died behind the wheel; at one point official orders were issued forbidding German officers from driving Tatras. Tatra was instrumental in the production of trucks and tank engines for the German war effort. The factory was nationalised in 1945 almost three years before the Communist Party came to power and in January 1946 was renamed " Tatra Národní Podnik ". Although production of prewar models continued,
5880-508: The steering wheel on the right-hand side as Czechoslovakia (like a number of other European countries) drove on the left before the Second World War. The unique car pictured here is the two-door coupé prototype used by Erich Übelacker. This one also had the more powerful engine from the later Tatra 87 . Ledwinka was not entirely satisfied with the T77's handling, which was hampered by the car's rather heavy rear. He started work on
5964-526: The third-oldest still-existing automobile manufacturer in the world. Under the direction of Hans Ledwinka , the company employed many of the genius minds of automotive history, including Erich Übelacker and consultant Paul Jaray , who together designed the Tatra 77. Paul Jaray first worked at Luftschiffbau Zeppelin (LZ) where he gained experience in the aerodynamic design of airships. He used his access to LZ's wind tunnels and subsequently established streamlining principles for car design. In 1927 he founded
6048-464: The total of 33,690 units made. The T111 also featured Tatra's first air-cooled diesel engine, a massive V12 originally designed for the armoured Sd.Kfz. 234 Puma. In the latter stages of World War II Tatra was instrumental in the development of air-cooled diesel engines for German tanks. In late 1944 General Heinz Guderian ordered that production of the Type 38(t) Hetzer tank be modified to incorporate
6132-489: The two cylinder banks' heads, and pivoted inboard of their centres to extend the lift applied by the cams. The principle had been used much earlier in the Duesenberg 16-valve straight-4 low-twin-cam racing engine, later adopted by Rochester for use in passenger cars, but Tatra's use of a single camshaft to open the valves of a V8 without pushrods, rather than two low shafts on a straight engine, must be unique. A consequence
6216-584: Was occupied by Nazi Germany and Tatra's production was directed towards military production. Trucks like Tatra 111 (1942) became instrumental both for the German Nazi war effort as well as post-war reconstruction in Central Europe and Soviet Union . Today, Tatra's production focuses on heavy, off-road trucks based on its century-long development of backbone chassis, swinging half-axles, and air-cooled engines. The core of its production consists of
6300-780: Was a German automobile engineer. Übelacker studied mechanical engineering at Prague Technical University and subsequently worked there as an assistant to Professor Rudolf Dörfl. During 1927–39 he worked at Tatra Works in Kopřivnice in Moravia under the leadership of Hans Ledwinka . Together with Ledwinka's son Erich Ledwinka, Übelacker developed the Tatra type 57 and designed the first Tatra aerodynamic cars with air-cooled rear engines T77 , T77a , T87 and T97 . During 1939–41 he worked for Austrian automobile factory Steyr , subsequently moving to Daimler-Benz in Stuttgart constructing turbine engines there between 1941 and 1945. As
6384-426: Was achieved by enlarging the bore diameter from 75 to 80 mm (3.0 to 3.1 inches). The new motor increased output to 75 hp (56 kW) and maximum speed to 150 km/h (93 mph). The front now had three headlamps of which the central unit was not, as has been suggested, linked to the steering on some models. The central headlight never moved with the front wheels, but had an electro-magnetic system enabling
6468-495: Was also fitted with almost American-style thick chrome bumpers with bullets (a.k.a. Dagmar bumpers ). Almost entirely hand-built, Tatras were not available for normal citizens as they were not permitted to buy them. The cars were reserved for the Communist Party elite and industrial officials, as well as being exported to most other communist nations as official state cars. Notably, Cuban President Fidel Castro had
6552-706: Was made to Tatra N.P. that it should concentrate on the manufacture of 7 to 10 ton capacity commercial vehicles and in 1956 first T137 and T138 trucks were exhibited at the Czechoslovak machinery expo in Brno . Production of the T111 continued alongside the T138 series until 1962. The T138 itself continued in production until 1969 when it was replaced by the T148 , which provided an increase in power output, reliability and product improvements. In 1967 Tatra began production of
6636-401: Was neither successful nor produced in large numbers, with a total of 69–72 cars manufactured. The T700 was the last passenger car made by Tatra with production halting in 1999. At this point, Tatra abandoned automobile manufacturing in order to concentrate on truck design and manufacture. The Tatra MTX V8 was the fastest Czech car of all time. Production started in 1991 in Kopřivnice . It has
6720-434: Was renamed " Kopřivnická vozovka ". That year, the company's director, Leopold Pasching, convinced Ledwinka to return to the company to run its new car plant. Ledwinka's next design, the Tatra 11 , which was released in 1923, featured a rigid backbone tube with swinging semi-axles at the rear giving independent suspension. The Tatra 11 was fitted with a front-mounted, air-cooled 1056 cc two-cylinder engine. In 1924
6804-483: Was the Nesselsdorf A [ de ] , which was produced in 1900. The Nesselsdorf A was equipped with a rear-mounted 2714 cc engine, and had a top speed of 40 km/h (25 mph). 22 units were built. The Nesselsdorf A was followed in 1902 by the Type B , which featured a central engine. Ledwinka then left the company to concentrate on steam engine development. He returned in 1905, and designed
6888-579: Was the chief designer responsible for the development of the new car, while Erich Übelacker was responsible for the body. Development was very secretive until the last moments of the official presentation on March 5, 1934, at Tatra's offices in Prague . The car was demonstrated on the road from Prague to Karlovy Vary , where it easily reached 145 kilometres per hour (90 mph), and amazed journalists with its great handling and comfortable ride at speeds of about 100 kilometres per hour (60 mph). On March 8,
6972-399: Was type T27 powered by 4-cylinder petrol or diesel engines, which remained in production for nearly 17 years (1930–1947) with total production of 7,620 units. By adding an extra axle to the rear the type T28 was created; however, it was not successful and only limited production resulted in a mainly bus chassis. In the period from 1931 to 1938 Tatra also built a small utility truck based on
7056-499: Was upgraded to T815-2 with minor cosmetic changes and improved ergonomics and safety – the biggest change was the engine emissions accordance with the "Euro0" limits and to Euro I limits in 1993 (turbocharged V8 engine only since this time for the full legislation; the Deutz 513 air-cooled V8 engine was offered as an alternative). The TerrNo1, introduced in 1997, featured a redesigned cabin as well as better sound and heat insulation than
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