Tatra

 Tatra is one of the world's oldest automobile manufacturing plants. He produces trucks and cars, diesel and electric locomotives, equipment for mechanical engineering. True, today the production of cars is suspended. The year of foundation of the company is considered to be 1850. It was then that the craftsman Ignaz Shustala, together with his two henchmen, opened a workshop in the house of the village government, where he began to make breeches. A little later, they began to produce complex carriages, which had a variety of bodies. In 1853, the first factory building was built. The result of all this was the appearance in 1858 of the company Sustala & Co. A little later, the Studenka-Štramberk railway was built. The company received great opportunities for marketing its products. Ignaz Shustala was a very enterprising person. He began the construction of buildings, which later began to produce railway cars. The first 15 wagons were produced in 1882. Baron Theodor von Liebing was a big believer in the idea of releasing a "carriage without a horse." It was he who gave Shustal the idea of releasing such products. In 1887, he strongly recommended that Karl Benz sell one of his newest engines on two cylinders with a capacity of 7 horsepower. It was this engine that was installed in the first Presedent passenger car, which was released in the summer of that year. The basis of this car was the self-made Milord crew. But despite the fact that the popularity of automobiles increased more and more, at the turn of the century, the main products of the company remained wagons that were exported to many countries of the world. Cars made in Kopřivice were gaining more and more popularity. In 1898, the first truck with a load capacity of 2.5 tons was built. It was installed two engines Benz. Nowadays, such cars are called cabless. The truck’s power devices were located under the cargo platform. Such a layout is considered avant-garde in our time. But the need for trucks and cars was constantly increasing. This led to the fact that the company completely reoriented its production. In addition, she changed her name. In 1920, the TATRA brand appeared, which is now known throughout the world.

 At the beginning of the 1920s, a turning point occurred in the company's concept of automobiles. This was due to the fact that the young but brilliant designer Hans Ledwinka came to the company. In 1923, he designed and manufactured a small TATRA 11 car. He was different in that he would have installed a two-cylinder boxer engine with air cooling, swinging axles and a frame in the form of a pipe. The rear axle with the main gear and the engine with gearbox were rigidly attached to the flanges of this frame. According to this scheme, cars of the company have been developed and manufactured for almost 80 years. At the beginning of the 30s, the company developed the T70 and T80 models - high-class cars. In 1934, the T77 car was released. It was a top-class limousine in which a powerful V - shaped eight-cylinder air-cooled engine was installed, which was located above the rear axle. The car had an aerodynamic body. In 1938 it was replaced by the T 87 with a more powerful engine and a more comfortable body. This car has been produced for almost 20 years. After that, it was replaced by the T 603. The last of the cars with rear-wheel drive was the T 700 luxury limousine, issued in the late 90s. He was rightly called the “Czech Rolls Royce”. The cessation of passenger car production should not be considered a sign of a company crisis. The company has always been mainly engaged in the production of trucks. The history of TATRA trucks is known for much more significant achievements. In the 1930s, such truck families as the T 72, T 82, and T 92 were produced. They were manufactured according to the scheme that is typical for all trucks of the company. These cars have become the basis for a large number of versions and modifications for various purposes. In 1942, G. Ledvinka created a project in accordance with which the production of the T 111 truck began. It was the first truck on which an air-cooled diesel engine was installed. Its wheel formula was 6x6. Experts admitted that in those years it was the best truck. At the end of the 50s it was replaced by T 137 and T 138 with an aerodynamic cabin, developed by the famous designer E. Kovarzh. In 1970, the T 148 model appeared. The year 1967 was a turning point in the history of the company. The company began production of the T 813. It is a powerful 8x8 car with a hoodless layout. In 1983, it was replaced by the T 815 lineup, and a little later - T 815-2. Currently, these vehicles form the basis of the TATRA production program. In recent years, production of hoodless TERRNo1 has been mastered, becoming a continuation of version 815-2 and hood T163-3. Nowadays, the company continues to work on improving the design of cars manufactured by it, and is constantly expanding production. Now the TATRA production program includes four families of heavy trucks with high cross-country ability. Two of these families are general purpose vehicles. The other two families are designed to work in difficult climates and for the needs of the army. The first representative is TERRNo1. This is a series of cabless cars. These machines have several modifications. They are available as onboard vehicles, tractor units and dump trucks with rear and three-way unloading. In addition, they are used as a chassis for the installation of special equipment, construction vehicles and vans. The following is a family of T 163-3. They are mainly used as dump trucks for off-road use. Cars of the FORCE family are designed to operate in especially harsh climatic conditions. They can be equipped with tanks, a conveyor loading system, and army-type onboard platforms. If necessary, cabins with hatches for shooting, armored cabs and other options are manufactured.