Tatra is the third oldest automobile brand in the world, founded in 1850 in Austria-Hungary. It is now owned by the Czech company Tatra Trucks, a.s., a subsidiary of the German company Daimler AG. Tatra is known for its large, rugged off-road vehicles, as well as its luxury automobiles. Tatra vehicles have been used in military, police, and fire departments, as well as in industrial, agricultural, and recreational applications. The most famous Tatra model is the T-87, a streamlined luxury sedan that was produced from 1936 to 1950. Today, Tatra produces a range of 4x4s, vans, and pickups for commercial and military use.
History
Tatra is a Czech car manufacturer founded in 1850 by Ignác Šustala. Originally a coachbuilding business, it was the first manufacturer of motor vehicles in Central Europe. The company later moved into the production of cars and trucks and has been owned by Czechoslovak, Czech and Slovak companies since its inception.
The first Tatra car was the Präsident, built in 1897 and featuring a gasoline engine. The company later developed a range of models, including the Tatra 11, a popular model in the 1920s, the Tatra 77, the first streamlined car in the world, and the Tatra 87, the first mass-produced car with a rear-mounted air-cooled engine. In the 1930s, the company developed the Tatra 87, a streamlined car, and the Tatra 600, a luxury car.
Tatra's most famous car, the Tatra 77, was designed by Hans Ledwinka in 1934 and was powered by a rear-mounted air-cooled engine. The car was extremely aerodynamic for its time and had a top speed of over 100 mph. It is considered to be one of the first truly modern cars in history.
In the late 1970s, the company was nationalized and continued to produce cars and trucks until the early 1990s. In 1991, Tatra was privatized and is now owned by the Czech company Tatra Trucks. The company still produces a range of trucks, buses and agricultural vehicles.
