Tatra is a Czech vehicle manufacturer from Kopřivnice. Owned by the TATRA TRUCKS a.s. company, it is the third oldest company in the world producing motor vehicles with an unbroken history.[1] The company was founded in 1850 as Ignatz Schustala & Cie. In 1890, it became a joint-stock company and was renamed the Nesselsdorfer Wagenbau-Fabriksgesellschaft. In 1897, it produced 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,[2] named after the nearby Tatra Mountains on the Czechoslovak-Polish border (now on 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 was occupied by Nazi Germany and Tatra's manufacturing capacity 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 the Tatra 817, intended primarily for military operators,[3] 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.[4]
Early years
In 1850, Ignaz Schustala founded "Ignatz Schustala & Cie" in Kopřivnice, and the company entered the business of manufacturing horse-drawn vehicles.
In the 1880s, the company began manufacturing railroad cars.[5]
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 died in 1891, von Röslerstamm took over the management of the business.
In 1897, the company began the creation of an automobile with an internal combustion engine.[6] Using 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.[7] The company began taking orders for cars, and between 1897 and 1900, nine improved cars based on the Präsident were made.
Tatra concept
In 1919, the company began using the Tatra brand for its cars.
In 1921, the company 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.[9]
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 1,056 cc two-cylinder engine.
In 1924, the company was renamed "Závody Tatra".
The Tatra 17, released in 1925, featured a 1,930 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".
[[File:Tatra 87 (Foto Hilarmont).JPG|thumb|right|Streamlined Tatras • Tatra V570 1931, 1933
• Tatra 77 1934–1938
• Tatra 87 1936–1950
• Tatra 97 1936–1939
Prewar streamliners
Tatra's specialty was luxury cars using the most recent technology, going from air-cooled flat-twins to fours and sixes, culminating (briefly) with the OHC 6-litre V12 in 1931.[10] 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,[11][12] Tatra began building advanced, streamlined cars after obtaining licences from Paul Jaray, which started in 1934 with the large Tatra 77, the world's first production aerodynamic car.[13][14] The average drag coefficient of a 1:5 model of the fastback Tatra 77 was recorded as 0.2455.[15]
Tatra and the conception of the Volkswagen Beetle
Both Adolf Hitler and Ferdinand Porsche were influenced by the Tatras.[17] Hitler was a keen automotive enthusiast, and had ridden in Tatras during political tours of Czechoslovakia.[11][17] He had also dined numerous times with Ledwinka.[17] After one of these dinners Hitler remarked to Porsche, "This is the car for my roads".[11][17][18] From 1933 onwards, Ledwinka and Porsche met regularly to discuss their designs,
War years
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 the scores of officers who died behind the wheel; at one point official orders were issued forbidding German officers from driving Tatras.[11][22]
Tatra was instrumental in the production of trucks and tank engines for the German war effort.
Postwar management
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, 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.
The Tatra 603
In 1953, amid much dissatisfaction among Communist party leaders with the poor-quality official cars imported from Russia, Tatra was again permitted to produce a luxury car, the Tatra 603.[23] 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 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,[24] as well as being exported to most other communist nations as official state cars. Notably, Cuban President Fidel Castro had 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 a putatively new vehicle to replace another older T603. This makes it difficult to trace the history of surviving vehicles.[25]
1970s makeover—the Tatra 613
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 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. 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 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 700
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 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 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. It has a Tatra 623 V8 engine with inlet manifold injection producing 225 kW at 6500 rpm. It accelerates from 0–100 km/h in 5.6 seconds. The top speed is 265 km/h. The Czech designer Václav Král designed this vehicle, with only five 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 emissions 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.[26] 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."[27] The company has launched a feasibility study, hoping to produce one thousand replicas of their legendary Tatraplan and 603 cars in 2010.[28]
In July 2008, pictures of a fuel cell concept car designed by Mike Jelinek, the Tatra 903, were shown.[29]
Trucks
1898–1914 beginning
The first truck manufactured at Kopřivnice in 1898[31] was a flatbed[32] 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 engine 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 a 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 the 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 a total production of five units.
1914–1922 serial production
Ownership
The Terex Corporation, an American company, acquired the majority ownership (71%) of Tatra in late 2003.[56] 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 the UK, Sam Eyde of the U.S., KBC Private Equity of Belgium, Meadowhill s.r.o. of the 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 instead of the 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 to tighten up cooperation between the companies.[57] DAF's cabs and Paccar engines became the mainstay of the civilian Tatra 158 Phoenix, while DAF dealerships started selling Tatra trucks.[58]
Current models
Tatra is known as a heavy-truck maker.[60] It mostly supplies individual, highly specialized custom-made vehicles and also sells just the backbone chassis for use in other manufacturers' trucks or specialized vehicles.[61] The current serial production models are:
- Tatra 810 Tactic – medium off-road truck based on conventional frame, portal axles, and equipped with a Renault water-cooled engine and cabin. Primarily intended for military operators, also offered on the civilian market.
Worldwide distribution
Germany
Several fire brigades and civil protection (THW), mostly in eastern Germany, are traditionally using Tatra trucks. Tatra's own conversion company, THT, builds vehicles for fire brigades and civil protection. Popular in Germany is a large Water tender and pumper based on the Tatra 815. The vehicle's water tank has a volume of 4,000 liters or more and a separate tank for foam agent. The 4×4 transmission and a gear wading depth of 1.20m make it suitable for rough terrain. In German use, the vehicle is called "TLF4000" (Tanklöschfahrzeug 4000) and is primarily used at airports and to fight forest fires.[62]
In 2021 the Bundeswehr fire brigade ordered 76 Tatra firefighting vehicles to fight forest fires (ordered by BwFuhrparkService GmbH). They are based upon the Tatra T 815-7 4×4 chassis, with equipment by Austrian Rosenbauer Group.[63]
India
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:[73]-
Built under licence
- Tatra 126 (Avro 626 Avian)
- Tatra 131 (Bücker Bü 131 Jungmann)
Tatra designed and built
- Tatra 001
- Tatra 002
- Tatra 003
- Tatra 101
Historic models
Passenger cars
Before the company was renamed to Tatra
- NW Präsident (1897)
- NW Präsident II (1898)
- NW Elektromobil (1900)
- NW A (1900–1902)
- NW B (1902–1904)
- NW C (1902–1905)
- NW D (1902–1905)
- NW E (1904–1906)
- NW F (1906)
- NW J (1906–1911)
See also
- František Kardaus
- Austro-Tatra
- Avia
- List of Czech automobiles
- List of automobile manufacturers
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
- 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
References
- About the Company Tatratrucks^
- Tatra - The Legacy of Hans Ledwinka Veloce Publishing, 2015^
- Jan Lopatka. Czech defence group CSG wins $1 billion Asian truck deal, opens Slovak ammunition line Reuters, 2025-12-16, retrieved 2026-01-19^