Tatra (company)

TATRA TRUCKS a.s.

Type	Private
Industry	Automotive
Founded	1850 1897 as a car manufacturer
Founder	Ignác Šustala
Headquarters	Kopřivnice, Moravia, Czech Republic
Key people	Ronald Adams (CEO) Hugo Fischer von Roeslerstamm (designer) Hans Ledwinka (designer) Julius Mackerle (designer)
Products	Automobiles, wagons, carriages, trucks
Revenue	CZK 3.7 billion (2014)
Number of employees	845 (2014)
Website	http://tatratrucks.com/ homepage German: http://www.tatra-lkw.de/

Tatra is a Czech manufacturer producing vehicles in Kopřivnice. It is owned by the Tatra Truck company, based in Ostrava, and is the third oldest company in the world producing cars with an unbroken history, after Daimler and Peugeot.^[1] The company was founded in 1850 as Ignatz Schustala & Comp., later renamed Nesselsdorfer Wagenbau-Fabriksgesellschaft when it became a wagon and carriage manufacturer. In 1897, Tatra produced the first motor car in central Europe, the Präsident automobile. In 1921, it changed its name to Kopřivnická vozovka a.s., and in 1919 changed from the Nesselsdorfer marque to the Tatra badge,^[2] named after the nearby Tatra Mountains on the Polish-Czechoslovak border at the time (now this range is on the Polish-Slovak border).

During World War II Tatra was instrumental in the production of trucks and tank engines for the German war effort. Production of passenger cars ceased in 1999, but the company still produces a range of primarily all-wheel-drive trucks, from 4×4 to 18x18. The brand is also known as a result of Czech truck racer Karel Loprais: in 1988–2001 he won the off-road race Dakar Rally six times with a Tatra 815.

Early years

Ignác Šustala (1822–1891), founder of the company in Kopřivnice, Moravia, started the production of horse-drawn vehicles in 1850. In 1891 he branched out into railroad car manufacture, naming the company Nesselsdorfer Wagenbau-Fabriksgesellschaft, and employed Hugo Fischer von Roeslerstamm as technical director in 1890. After the death of Šustala, von Roeslerstamm took over running the company and in 1897 he bought a Benz automobile. Using this for inspiration, the company made its first car, the Präsident, which was exhibited in 1897 in Vienna. Orders were obtained for more cars and under the direction of engineers Hans Ledwinka and Edmund Rumpler,^[3] ten improved cars were made.

The first car to be totally designed by Ledwinka came in 1900 with the Type A with rear-mounted 2714 cc engine and top speed of 40 kilometres per hour (25 mph), 22 units were built. This was followed by the Type B with central engine in 1902 but then Ledwinka left the company to concentrate on steam engine development. He returned in 1905 and designed a completely new car, the Type S with 3308 cc 4-cylinder engine. Production was badly hit in 1912 with a 23-week strike and Hugo Fischer von Roeslerstam left the company.

Tatra concept

After World War I Nesselsdorfer Wagenbau was renamed Kopřivnická vozovka, and in 1919 the name Tatra was given to the car range. Leopold Pasching took over control and in 1921 Hans Ledwinka returned again to develop the revolutionary Tatra 11. The new car, launched in 1923 featured a rigid backbone tube with swinging semi-axles at the rear giving independent suspension. The engine, front-mounted, was an air-cooled two-cylinder unit of 1056 cc.

The Tatra 11 was replaced in 1926 by the similar Tatra 12 which had four-wheel brakes. A further development was the 1926 Tatra 17 with a 1,930 cc water-cooled six-cylinder engine and fully independent suspension. In 1927 the company was renamed Závody Ringhoffer-Tatra a.s..

Prewar streamliners

Tatra's specialty was luxury cars of a technically advanced nature, going from air-cooled flat-twins to fours and sixes, culminating (briefly) with the OHC 6-litre V12 in 1931.^[4] 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,^[5][6] Tatra began building advanced, streamlined cars after obtaining licences from Paul Jaray, which started in 1934 with the large Tatra T77, the world's first production aerodynamic car. The average drag coefficient of a 1:5 model of the fastback Tatra T77 was recorded as 0.2455.^[7] It featured (as did almost all subsequent big Tatras) a rear-mounted, air-cooled V8 engine, which was in technical terms very sophisticated for the time.

Tatra and the conception of the Volkswagen Beetle

Both Hitler and Porsche were influenced by the Tatras.^[8] Hitler was a keen automotive enthusiast, and had ridden in Tatras during political tours of Czechoslovakia.^[5][8] He had also dined numerous times with Ledwinka.^[8] After one of these dinners Hitler remarked to Porsche, "This is the car for my roads".^[5][8][9] From 1933 onwards, Ledwinka and Porsche met regularly to discuss their designs,^[10] and Porsche admitted "Well, sometimes I looked over his shoulder and sometimes he looked over mine" while designing the Volkswagen.^[8][9] There is no doubt that the Beetle bore a striking resemblance to the Tatras, particularly the Tatra V570.^[8] The Tatra T97 of 1936 had a rear-located, rear-wheel drive, air-cooled four-cylinder boxer engine accommodating four passengers and providing luggage storage under 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, 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 Ringhoffer-Tatra 1,000,000 Deutsche Marks in an out of court settlement.^[11]

War years

After the 1938 invasion of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany, Tatras continued in production, largely because Germans liked the cars. Many German officers met their deaths driving 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 the scores of officers who died behind the wheel; at one point official orders were issued forbidding German officers from driving Tatras.^[5][12]

Postwar management

The factory was nationalised in 1945 almost three years before the Communist Party came to power and renamed to Tatra Národní Podnik. Although production of prewar models continued, a new model, the Tatra T600 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 Skoda plant in Mladá Boleslav, leaving Tatra free to concentrate on trucks, buses and railway equipment.

The Tatra T603

In 1953, amid much dissatisfaction among Communist party leaders with the poor-quality official cars imported from Russia, Tatra was again given permission to produce a luxury car, the Tatra T603. Much like Tatra's prewar cars, it was driven by a rear-mounted, air-cooled V8 and had the company's trademark aerodynamic styling. Uniquely, the Tatra T603 initially featured three headlights and the first prototypes had a central rear stabilising fin, though this feature was lost on production vehicles. It was also fitted with almost American-style thick chrome bumpers with bullets (a.k.a. Dagmar bumpers). Almost entirely hand-built, Tatras were not for everybody; normal citizens were not permitted to buy them. They were reserved for the Communist Party elite, industrial officials, as well as being exported to most other communist nations as official state cars. Notably, Cuban President Fidel Castro had a white Tatra T603, custom-fitted with air conditioning.

Tatra T603s 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 a putatively new vehicle to replace another older T603. This makes it difficult to trace the history of surviving vehicles.

1970s makeover—the Tatra T613

In 1968 a replacement was developed; the Tatra T613. 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 the layout remained the same, the body was all new, as was the engine, being 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. It is a tribute to Vignale's styling that they did not look dated until rather late in that time period. Over 11,000 cars were built, and sales slowed to a trickle of just a few dozen per year towards the end of production as Tatras began to seem more and more outdated.

1990s Tatra T700

The Tatra T700 was a large luxury car released in 1996 by Tatra. Essentially a heavily restyled version of the Tatra T613 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 was neither successful nor produced in large numbers, having produced a total of 90,000 cars. 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.

1990s Tatra MTX V8

The Tatra MTX V8 was the fastest Czech car of all time. Production started in 1991 in Kopřivnice. Under the hood was a Tatra 623 V8 motor, with the injected version producing 225 kW at 6500 rpm. 0–100 km/h taking 5.6 seconds. Maximum speed was 265 km/h. It was the work of legendary Czech designer Václav Král. Only 5 units of this car were ever produced.

2000s

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 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.^[13]
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 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.'^[14] The company has launched a feasibility study, hoping to produce one thousand replicas of their legendary Tatraplan and 603 cars in 2010.^[15]

In July 2008 pictures of a fuel cell concept car designed by Mike Jelinek, the Tatra 903, were shown.^[16]

Tatra in the West

Unlike most Soviet 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 fall of the Soviet Union did not help Tatra's fortunes, as the company made no inroads in Western Europe's already crowded automobile market. Worse, the introduction of competitors, such as Mercedes-Benz and Peugeot into the Czech Republic, further eroded Tatra's sales. Production of the 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 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 T-87, prompting Leno to purchase one himself. Leno soon become an advocate for the brand. In the United States, the few Tatra clubs are closely associated with Citroen clubs, as many Tatra collectors also collect Citroën DS series cars.

A Tatra T87 is on exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.^[17]

Trucks

1898–1914 beginning

The first truck manufactured at Kopřivnice in 1898^[18] was a flatbed^[19] with 2 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 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 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 5 units.

1914–1922 serial production

The first true serial truck production at Tatra was instigated by the beginning of World War I. In the year 1914 there were only 2 trucks made, type T 14/40 HP, however by the 1915 end the production jumped to the total of 105 TL-2 units and the following year 1916 the numbers rose to total of 196 TL-2 and 30 TL-4 truthe time peaked in 1917 with 19 TL-2 and 303 TL-4 models, after that production declined and the similar amount 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 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.^[20]

1923–1938 Tatra concept

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 the same basis,^[21] 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 introduced as T26 with 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 build limited series of T25 heavy artillery hauler with 4 and 6-cylinder petrol engines. The most popular Tatra truck before World War II was type T27 powered by 4-cylinder petrol or diesel engines and remained in production for nearly 17 years (1930–1947) with total production of 7,620 units,^[22] 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 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.^[23]

1939–1956 World War II and beyond

Following the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia 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 legendary T111 which continued in production until 1962, with the total of 33,690 units made.^[24] The T111 also featured Tatra's first air-cooled diesel engine, a massive V12 originally designed for the armoured SdKfz 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 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.^[25]

1957–1982 moving forward

The decision to replace the reliable but ageing T111 was taken in 1952 based on central planning economy of socialist government where directive 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 Czechoslovak machinery expo in Brno. The production of T111 however continued alongside T138 series until 1962. T138 itself continued in production until 1969 when it was replaced by improved T148 where designers main target was an increase in power output, reliability and product improvements.

In 1967 Tatra began production of one of its famous off-road trucks the T813 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 the roads in Czechoslovakia hauling large often over-sized loads.

1982–2008 T815 and beyond

Tatra T815 was designed for extreme off-road conditions, and its road versions are derived from the off-road original. After the 53-rd session of CMEA council a directive that Tatra N.P. would be a sole supplier of off road commercial vehicles of <12 ton capacity for Eastern Block countries, led to a modernization of company and its production models. Following extensive testing at different sites, including Siberia, the type T815 was introduced in 1982 and production started in 1983. Comparing to previous models T815 was made of 142 main assembly components as opposed to 219 main assembly components of its predecessor.^[26] The engines power output was increased up to 45% and a new COE tilt-able cabin was introduced. Modular engine designed resulted in V8, V10 and V12 engines with or without turbocharger.

T815 was upgraded to T815-2 with minor cosmetic changes and improved ergonomics and safety - the biggest change was the engine emissions accordance the "Euro0" limits and to Euro1 limits in 1993 (turbocharged V8 engine only since this time for the full legislation. As alternative was offered also the Deutz 513 air-cooled V8 engine). The next facelift^[27] in 1997 brought in the new exterior design cabin TerrNo1 with all new interior with better sound and heat insulation however the cabin design is based on the original so it can actually be retrofitted to all T815 built since 1993.^[28] In 2000 the TerrNo1 cabin is face-lifted again and for the first time there is an option to fit liquid-cooled engines.

The TerrNo1 model introduced the "KingFrame" rear axles suspension. Another evolution step T3B engine came with the Euro2 emission limit. Following further improvements in 2003 T815 gets new Euro3 T3C V8 engine mated to all new 14-speed range+split gearbox as well as option for engines from other suppliers most notably CAT, Cummins, Detroit Diesel, Deutz and MTU with its "monster" 22.5 Litre V12 and up to 610 kW (829 PS; 818 hp) power output! In September 2006 Tatra introduced its Euro4 compliant turbocharged T3D engine with the SCR exhaust technology and in February 2008 the worlds's first Euro 5-compliant air-cooled diesel engine based on T3D engine^[29]

The evolution of Tatra T815 would not be complete without mentioning its derivates T816 (T815-6) Armax^[30] and Force^[31] series which had its origin back in 1993 when Tatra participated in the tender process for heavy duty off road trucks for UAE army and after two years of bidding the company was successful in securing a contract worth $180 million.^[32]

The resulting model became known as T816 "LIWA" (Arabic for "desert").^[33] The latest model for the military customers is T817(T815-7)^[34][35] marketed as high-mobility heavy-duty tactical truck with low profile cabin for C-130 Hercules transportability for NATO member countries armed services.

Tatra also went back to its roots and decided to produce once again a bonneted CBE heavy duty off road truck to continue the successful line started with T111, so in 1999 the T163 Jamal was^[36] put into full production after first prototypes were built in 1997 and followed extensive testing including at Siberia, as a heavy duty dump truck, once again based on proven backbone tube chassis construction with the cabin designed by Jiří Španihel^[37] The T163 6×6 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 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 the design, then modernized and reintroduced it as T810 while continuing cooperation with Renault.^[38] 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 on against it by Praga.^[39] The serial T810 vehicles are than finally equipped with the new design Tatra rigid axles with the WABCO disc brakes, with the ZF Ecolite transmission and Steyr drop box.

Navistar & Tatra

Tatra and Navistar Defence introduced at Eurosatory Exposition in Paris, France (Jun 14-18 2010) the results of their strategic alliance since October 2009, the models ATX6 (universal container carrier) and ATX8 (troop carrier).^[40] The vehicles appear to be based on Tatra T815-7 (T817) 6×6, 8×8 chassis,^[41] suspension and cabins while using Navistar engines and other components.^[42] Under the deal Navistar Defence and Tatra A.S. will market the vehicles in North America, which includes sales to the United States military and foreign military sales financed by the United States government. Tatra will source parts and components through Navistar’s global parts and support network for Tatra trucks delivered in markets outside of North America as well as market Navistar-Tatra vehicles around the world in their primary markets.

Ownership

The United States Terex Corporation acquired the majority ownership (71%) of Tatra in late 2003.^[43] As of late 2006, however, majority ownership (80.51%) was in the hands of Tatra Holdings s.r.o., an international consortium comprising Vectra Limited of UK, Sam Eyde of the U.S., KBC Private Equity of Belgium, Meadowhill s.r.o. of Czech Republic and Ronald Adams of the U.S. On 15 December 2006, a contract was signed between Tatra and the Czech Republic for 556 trucks at roughly $130 million, or 2.6 billion Czech crowns. This contract was signed in lieu of replacement of older military vehicles.

In April 2007, Tatra announced that it had already matched its production in 2006 and produced 1,600 vehicles. In 2007, Tatra planned to produce between 2,300 and 2,500 vehicles. In contrast to previous years, Tatra has increased employment by the hundreds within the past two quarters, has reversed previous errors, and was growing again.

In August 2011, DAF Trucks announced it had built up a 19% stake in Tatra, which was to use DAF cabs and PACCAR engines. DAF dealers were to sell Tatra off-road trucks.^[44]

In March 2013, Tatra was sold in auction for 176 mil CZK (c. 7 mil euro) due to its debts to Truck Development company based in Ostrava, Czech Republic.^[45] Production continues.^[46] In 2013 Tatra sold 722 trucks, the most since 2008. Approximately two-thirds of units were exported.^[47]

Current truck models

• Tatra 810
• Tatra 815-7
• Terrn°1
• Tatra 816 Force
• Tatra 158 Phoenix

• 
  Tatra 810
• 
  Tatra 815-7
• 
  Tatra Terrn°1
• 
  Tatra 158 Phoenix

India

Tatra had a truck-building joint venture in India called Tatra Vectra Motors Ltd, formerly called Tatra Trucks India Ltd. It is a joint venture between Tatra and the Vectra Group from England.^[48] In 2009, Vectra announced a new joint venture with Russia's Kamaz to form Kamaz Vectra Motors Limited to manufacture Kamaz trucks in India.,^[49][50] This joint venture replaced the former Tatra Vectra venture.^[49] The manufacturing plant is located in Hosur, Tamil Nadu. The fully integrated manufacturing facility includes an engine assembly and testing plant, a cabin welding shop, a frame fabrication shop and a test track. Most Tatra trucks for sale in India are manufactured in collaboration with Bharat Earth Movers Limited.^[51]

In 2002, the company received a 1,070 trucks order from the Government of India.^[52] Tatra's growing involvement in India's defense industry is often cited as an example of growing relations between Czech Republic and India.^[53]

In 2010 the Indian Government ordered 788 vehicles from public sector defence equipment manufacturer BEML. The order comprises supply of 498 8×8 vehicles, 278 6×6 vehicles without winch and 12 6×6 with winch.^[54]

• 
  Tatra Recovery Vehicle of the Indian Army
• 
  A Tatra Truck at India Gate, New Delhi on India Republic Day on 26 January
• 
  Indian Army Tatra truck mounting BM-30 Smerch.

Israel

Reportedly following one of Israeli-Arab conflicts, Israel tested some Tatras captured from neighbour Arab armed forces (Egypt). Israel Defense Forces's command was apparently quite impressed with their performance, independence of cooling by air only and their capabilities as military trucks in desert and in wars for long-range raiding operations in such terrains etc., and felt necessary to include these trucks in their arsenal. As direct purchase from oppositely aligned Czechoslovakia was impossible, the lore has it that Israelis used some well-paid services of Nicolae Ceauşescu's Romania in cooperation with an American Company called ATC (American Truck Company) to purchase sand-coloured and military trucks, desert-equipped Tatra trucks too, leading to jokes along the line "Romania has a new desert". Current photos of various Israeli weapon systems, e.g., SPYDER slated, e.g., for India, show new Tatras as the carrier vehicles.

A number of Tatra trucks entered service in the Israeli Army also in many army sectors and as for example anti aircraft missile launcher, with the brand mark of "American Truck Company", under which Tatras were sold on U.S. market and exported to Israel.

United States

American Truck Company was a quasi-independent company set up by Terex, when they controlled Tatra, to import Tatra vehicles in both knock down kits or fully built and carry out assembly operations, repair and service, body building on chassis in the USA.^[55][56] These trucks were offered to the military and other government organizations and were badged and sold in the USA under the ATC brand.^[57] ATC badged Tatras were fitted with American Cummins turbodiesel engines in place of the Tatra's air-cooled diesel.^[58]

Tatra aircraft

The Ringhoffer-Tatra Works ltd. produced several aircraft and aero-engines in the 1930s and 1940s before annexation by Germany, and after under the orders of the RLM. Among the aircraft produced were the following:^[59]-

Built under licence

• Tatra T.126 (Avro 626 Avian)
• Tatra T.131 (Bücker Bü 131 Jungmann)

Tatra designed and built

• Tatra T.001
• Tatra T.002
• Tatra T.003
• Tatra T.101
• Tatra T.201
• Tatra T.301
• Tatra T.401

Models

Passenger cars

Prior the company was renamed to Tatra.

• NW Präsident
• NW A
• NW B
• NW C
• NW D
• NW E
• NW Elektromobil
• NW F
• NW J
• NW L
• NW S
• NW T
• NW U

After the name Tatra was adopted

• Tatra 10
• Tatra 11
• Tatra 12
• Tatra 17
• Tatra 20
• Tatra 26
• Tatra 30
• Tatra 52
• Tatra 54
• Tatra 57: Tatra 57 A and Tatra 57 B
• Tatra 70
• Tatra 75
• Tatra 77
• Tatra 77a
• Tatra 80
• Tatra 87
• Tatra 97
• Tatra 600 Tatraplan
• Tatra 603
• Tatra 613
• Tatra 623
• Tatra 700

Trucks

• NW First Truck
• NW TL-2
• NW TL-4
• Tatra 13
• Tatra 22
• Tatra 23
• Tatra 24
• Tatra 25
• Tatra 26
• Tatra 27
• Tatra 28
• Tatra 29
• Tatra 43
• Tatra 49
• Tatra 52
• Tatra 72
• Tatra 74
• Tatra 79
• Tatra 81
• Tatra 82
• Tatra 85
• Tatra 92
• Tatra 93
• Tatra 111
• Tatra 114
• Tatra 115
• Tatra 128
• Tatra 138
  • OT-64 SKOT Tatra engine powered 8×8 armored personnel carrier
• Tatra 141
• Tatra 147
• Tatra 148
• Tatra 158 Phoenix
• Tatra 163 Jamal
• Tatra 700
• Tatra 805
• Tatra 810 ANTS
• Tatra 813
  • RM-70 8×8 armored multiple rocket launcher based on Tatra T813
• Tatra 815, 815-2 and TerrNo1
  • Tatrapan 6×6 Armored vehicle based on the Tatra 815 chassis.
• Tatra 816
  • Armax Trucks 4×4, 6×6 and 8×8 with air-cooled Tatra engines and transmissions by Tatra
  • Force Special trucks with water-cooled engines and automatic transmissions
• Tatra 817

Buses

• Tatra 24
• Tatra 27
• Tatra 43
• Tatra 72
• Tatra 114
• Tatra 500

Trolleybuses

• Tatra T86 (1936–38)^[60]
• Tatra T400 (1949–55)^[60]
• Tatra T401 (1958; only 1 built)^[60]

Prototypes and racing cars

• NW Rennzweier (1900)
• Tatra 12 Targa Florio (1925)
• Tatra 30 Sport (1926)
• Tatra 84 (1935)
• Tatra 90 (1935)
• Tatra 107 (1946)
• Tatra 116/117/120 (1948)
• Tatra 118/119/122 (1948)
• Tatra 130 (1951)
• Tatra 131 (1951)
• Tatra 137 (1956)
• Tatra 157 (1972)
• Tatra 201 (1947)
• Tatra 600 Diesel (1952)
• Tatra 601 Convertible (1951)
• Tatra 601 Monte Carlo
• Tatra 602 Tatraplan Sports
• Tatra 603 A (1964)
• Tatra 603 B5 (1966)
• Tatra 603 B6 (1967)
• Tatra 603 MB (1961)
• Tatra 603 Monte Carlo
• Tatra 603 X (1966)
• Tatra 604 (1954)
• Tatra 605 (1957)
• Tatra 607 (1950)
• Tatra 607-2 (1953)
• Tatra 625 (1986)
• Tatra 803 (1950)
• Tatra 804 (1951)
• Tatra 806 (1951)
• Tatra Baghira (1973)
• Tatra Dolphin (1963)
• Tatra JK 2500 (1956)
• MTX Tatra V8 (1991)
• Tatra Prezident (1994)
• Tatra V570 (1931)
• Tatra V855 (1942)
• Tatra 163 Jamal Evo (2003)

Related development

• Volkswagen Beetle

Similar automobiles

• Chevrolet Corvair
• Citroen DS
• Porsche 356
• Renault Dauphine
• Tucker Torpedo

See also

• List of automobile manufacturers
• Paul Jaray
• Hans Ledwinka
• Julius Mackerle
• Erich Übelacker
• František Kardaus
• Flat engine
• V8 engine
• Austro-Tatra
• Škoda Auto
• Avia
• List of Czech automobiles

References

Sources

• Tatra company profile, Retrieved 2008-11-29
• Present Tatra military trucks (T810, T815, T816, T817)
• Tatra history at Tatra World
• Grey, C.G. & Bridgman, Leonard. Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1938. Sampson Low, Marston & company, ltd.. London. 1938
• Willson, Quentin The Ultimate Classic Car Book. New Your, New York: DK Publishing Inc., 1995. ISBN 0-7894-0159-2. Pages 214-215

Further reading

• Margolius, Ivan & Henry, John G. (1990). Tatra - The Legacy of Hans Ledwinka. Harrow: SAF. ISBN 0-946719-06-3. 
• Margolius, Ivan & Henry, John G. (2015). Tatra - The Legacy of Hans Ledwinka, new edition. Dorchester: Veloce Publishing. ISBN 978-1-845847-99-9. 
• Tatra Automobiles - Luxury Cars from Koprivnice 1920–1940 by Miroslav Gomola, AGM publisher Czech republic
• List of Literature and Magazines articles related to Tatra

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tatra.

• Tatra Official site
• TATRA GERMANY
• Tatra India
• Tatra and Tatraplan cars site
• Tatra Cars Services
• Tatra Portal - Biggest website about Tatra cars and Trucks
• International Streamlined Tatra Site
• Tatra Aircraft History (Czech)
• Tatra Museum
• "Tatra’s Long Twilight Is Explored at a Tennessee Museum" at NY Times, July 20, 2011