Tatra's heritage as primarily a truck manufacturer comes through in the driving characteristics. The steering is heavy, the clutch heavy, gear changes must be deliberate, very good brakes considering they are drums. Acceleration is slow and steady (it certainly won't beat anyone off the lights), but the streamlining does make it easy to forget how fast you are going (the driver manual in 1936 warned of this). The suspension is excellent and the car can tackle rough ground easily. I have linked a factory promotional movie from 1962 in one of the comments below of the successor model being driven very roughly. It's eye opening.
@paulmarkham3187 Jay Leno drove a T77 in excellent condition and commented on how light the controls were - including the steering. He described it as astonishingly modern to drive. What basis do you have for your claims?
@@pashakdescilly7517 err, being the owner of the Tatra who drives it regularly. It IS surprisingly modern to drive. This car is from 1952 and it drives better than my 1965 Holden EH did back in the day. And Jay Leno owns a T87
At one time, there were 2 of these Tatra's parked on a hillside in someones yard near Hornell, NY. (A small city in the Southern Tier of New York State). There is a TH-cam video of Jay Leno taking a Tatra out for a drive near his shop in California!
Thank you for being you history. Is everything in our auto industry? In years to come? Many of these cars will be seen as a Picasso or a Rembrandt and enjoy a different position as they certainly started the auto industry in a big way. I have a front wheel drive fuel injected two stroke 1953 goliath however it is extremely difficult to find parts and someone who is interested in them now as the youth of the day simply don’t want them so disappointing. It’s all to do with education history is everything regards Alan from down under.
The 1950s Goliath by Borgward is the first fuel injected two-stroke engine. I had a friend here who owned the later Hansa version with four-stroke motor. He said it was one of the best cars to drive (he had DKWs, Borgwards, Fords and Cadillacs - quite a variety). Sadly he's passed now and the car has gone somewhere. Are you in WA?
Tatra was definitively not the first to market a rear-engined car. The earliest cars in the late 19th century, including the very first Benz and Daimler motor vehicles, were all rear-engined cars - even mid-engined cars were available (Cadillac Curved Dash). Mercedes introduced a rear-engined car at the same time as Tatra did.
The V8s get all the attention but there were only 2 prewar models and less than 4000 were built. Spectacular cars, but Tatra built far more flat four cars, primarily front mounted. Those cars are far less well known as they're more conventional
During the thirties when it had a V8 engine, the weight distribution was way out of proportion with the heavy engine behind the axle, causing bad understeer. In fact a story going around was it killed more High ranking German Officers than the War. Because of their superior attitude they thought they could handle it. It was reported that Hitler had to order that the Officers not to drive the car. I presume the later models with a smaller and lighter engine helped in its inherent problem.
Of course someone was always going to bring up the "Czech secret weapon" myth. The story is totally apocryphal and nonsense without a single shred of evidence behind it.
Unfortunately that story - commonly reported everywhere - is completely untrue. It was invented by a couple of British motoring writers in the early 1950s who besmirched the now communist controlled company by equating the Tatra's handling with the poorly handling British Burley Streamliners from 1930. Burleys and Tatras share nothing in common except they have rear engines.
Friends of mine, brothers both have Tatras. I drove John's 1947 T87. Didn't like it. Tatras are not advanced. They are a false trail that did not show the way to anywhere. Today, we do not drive rear-engined V8 air cooled cars. For the car of the future, look at the 1934 Citroen Traction Avant- it's the basis for almost everything on the road today. Front wheel drive, rack and pinion steering, unit body, overhead valves and more. nBuilt for 23 years and when it went out of production in 1957, it was still more advanced than any other car on the road.
Tatra is world famous among car guys for its innovation and ingenuity in a corporate lifetime of very difficult circumstances. Lovely example!
also famous for killing german officers who couldn't handle its speed and handling quirks during ww2 when they drove confiscated ones
I am 73, life time car nut, thought I knew them all but this one was to proove I did not. Great show more please..
@9:58 The exhaust sounds like a bagpipe song. Most unusual.
A fascinating car. And Paul seems like such a nice bloke. Like another commenter, I expected an air-cooled V8. A great video.
Great film, Paul! Congratulations! Best regards from Germany
That's an amazing car, in excellent condition. It would be really great to get driving impressions.
Tatra's heritage as primarily a truck manufacturer comes through in the driving characteristics. The steering is heavy, the clutch heavy, gear changes must be deliberate, very good brakes considering they are drums. Acceleration is slow and steady (it certainly won't beat anyone off the lights), but the streamlining does make it easy to forget how fast you are going (the driver manual in 1936 warned of this). The suspension is excellent and the car can tackle rough ground easily. I have linked a factory promotional movie from 1962 in one of the comments below of the successor model being driven very roughly. It's eye opening.
@paulmarkham3187 Jay Leno drove a T77 in excellent condition and commented on how light the controls were - including the steering. He described it as astonishingly modern to drive.
What basis do you have for your claims?
@@pashakdescilly7517 err, being the owner of the Tatra who drives it regularly. It IS surprisingly modern to drive. This car is from 1952 and it drives better than my 1965 Holden EH did back in the day. And Jay Leno owns a T87
Well, that's different! Never seen one, love the design!
Nice one Paul 😃
The Tampa Bay Automobile Museum in Florida has multiple Tatras on display.
It'll have to be on our "visit" list next time in Florida. We visited Tallahassee Auto Museum in 2011 and it was excellent. They had a Tucker
At one time, there were 2 of these Tatra's parked on a hillside in someones yard near Hornell, NY. (A small city in the Southern Tier of New York State). There is a TH-cam video of Jay Leno taking a Tatra out for a drive near his shop in California!
Obviously better RAC mechanics than those in the RAC here with my Volvo 855 👍🏻🏴
Probably even less well known, at least here in North America, is the Eisenacher Motorwerk or EMW.
EMW 340 is on my wish list!! Hardly known outside East Germany and Scandinavia. heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/2021/02/classic-car-wish-list-in-2021.html
Thank you for being you history. Is everything in our auto industry? In years to come? Many of these cars will be seen as a Picasso or a Rembrandt and enjoy a different position as they certainly started the auto industry in a big way. I have a front wheel drive fuel injected two stroke 1953 goliath however it is extremely difficult to find parts and someone who is interested in them now as the youth of the day simply don’t want them so disappointing. It’s all to do with education history is everything regards Alan from down under.
The 1950s Goliath by Borgward is the first fuel injected two-stroke engine. I had a friend here who owned the later Hansa version with four-stroke motor. He said it was one of the best cars to drive (he had DKWs, Borgwards, Fords and Cadillacs - quite a variety). Sadly he's passed now and the car has gone somewhere. Are you in WA?
Tatra was definitively not the first to market a rear-engined car. The earliest cars in the late 19th century, including the very first Benz and Daimler motor vehicles, were all rear-engined cars - even mid-engined cars were available (Cadillac Curved Dash). Mercedes introduced a rear-engined car at the same time as Tatra did.
Nobody said it was.
Didn't know they made a flat 4. Thought they were all v8s!
The V8s get all the attention but there were only 2 prewar models and less than 4000 were built. Spectacular cars, but Tatra built far more flat four cars, primarily front mounted. Those cars are far less well known as they're more conventional
What is under the front bonnet, fuel, spare tyre; luggage space; old KGB agents?
Yes, fuel tank, oil radiator, 2 spare tyres and a very small amount of luggage space. No KBG agents
I have heard of this car - what to do?
I suspect Tatra parts are hard to get.
Yes they are
During the thirties when it had a V8 engine, the weight distribution was way out of proportion with the heavy engine behind the axle, causing bad understeer. In fact a story going around was it killed more High ranking German Officers than the War. Because of their superior attitude they thought they could handle it. It was reported that Hitler had to order that the Officers not to drive the car. I presume the later models with a smaller and lighter engine helped in its inherent problem.
Of course someone was always going to bring up the "Czech secret weapon" myth. The story is totally apocryphal and nonsense without a single shred of evidence behind it.
This video shows how a Tatra V8 can be driven.
th-cam.com/video/uR6-ReQR45E/w-d-xo.htmlsi=691Wnyx_fAq0w40T
Unfortunately that story - commonly reported everywhere - is completely untrue. It was invented by a couple of British motoring writers in the early 1950s who besmirched the now communist controlled company by equating the Tatra's handling with the poorly handling British Burley Streamliners from 1930. Burleys and Tatras share nothing in common except they have rear engines.
Friends of mine, brothers both have Tatras. I drove John's 1947 T87. Didn't like it. Tatras are not advanced. They are a false trail that did not show the way to anywhere. Today, we do not drive rear-engined V8 air cooled cars. For the car of the future, look at the 1934 Citroen Traction Avant- it's the basis for almost everything on the road today. Front wheel drive, rack and pinion steering, unit body, overhead valves and more. nBuilt for 23 years and when it went out of production in 1957, it was still more advanced than any other car on the road.
Apperently Tatra killed quite a few high ranking Germans who liked driving them during ww2 .
It's a postwar myth.
So happy this vid had subtitles.. Awful accents