You learn something every day:jesus

These are weird looking cars but you can see where the beetle came from

http://www.ukcar.com/sframe.htm?/history/Tatra/

OK more weird sh!t :alien

Check out Mike's shed:o

http://home.att.net/~mikekiley/mikesgarage.htm

Hmmm thats pretty funky . Never seen one .

Does anyone know of any here in Oz.

Are you going to get one as ya next project Jenz

A

I heard of one up in QLD, but that was a while ago.

I went to Prague in 1994 and I saw a couple on the street. I'd never seen one before or even heard of Tatras, but they looked so beautiful I fell in love with them straight away.

I think they even did an air-cooled V8 - wow!

Saw a variety of those things in Prague.

If ever you want to go cool wierd car shopping/spotting Prague is the go. Lots of old wierd East/West things lurking around.

You should see the local equivalent of Rice's! Sadly I have no pics but I highly recommend going there before it turns into a real shithole. Its on its way down now probably due to evrymovie etc with a few $$$ looting the place. It has discovered rampant capitalism. The cab drivers make Colin MacRae look like a granny on her way to church too. This is where they shot the 350Z ad and that Vin Diesel movie where he saves the world (yet again.....)

You gotta try the REAL local Absinthe too. Fairies Fairies Everywhere...:sandrine:sandrine:sandrine:sandrine:sandrine

Don't think we have them here but I could be wrong?

My next project LOL

Have trouble getting bits some bits I want for Bels' 36hp now let alone something like a Tatra. Would imagine you'd need the $$$$ to import everything

How cool are they and so different :thumb

Nah, someone had been giving me a VW history lesson so I thought I'd share

Hey, the Tempo Matador, where the kombi design came from

http://hem.bredband.net/b113915/one/tempo1.htm

http://www.vwtrendsweb.com/features/0108vwt_tempo/?iam=dpile_100

[Edited on 6-8-2003 by jenz58]

Harding's in brissie had one sitting around for a while. In need of restoration

Hmmm, not interested:jesus

Maybe someone with more time and means on their hands

It would be good if someone could actually do it:bounce

History:thumb

I did a lot of research on the Tatra (still have it) & if things went a little differentin WW2 we could all be part of aussietatras.com.

"It is not difficult to spot the close resemblance between the Tatra T97 and the VW Beetle. For several years, ever since the 1933 Tatra V570 prototype, Ledwinka and Porsche regularly met each other to discuss their automotive work and designs. When the T97 was launched Porsche was working on the KdF-Wagen, the later VW Beetle, for Hitler's promotion purposes. Hitler considered the T97 to be too similar to his KdF-Wagen which was to be produced by the new Volkswagen factory, even though the T97 was listed at more than five and a half times the KdF-Wagen's target selling price. In 1939 the T97, along with the T57, were ordered to be removed from the Tatra stand at the 1939 Berlin Autosalon, because of their close resemblance to the KDF-Wagen. In the late 1930's it became clear VW had used several patents of the Tatra factory. Just before the war Tatra had ten legal claims against VW for infringement of patents. Although Ferdinand Porsche was about to make a settlement with Tatra, he was stopped by Hitler who said he would "solve his problem". Shortly after he invaded Czechoslovakia and gained control over Tatra, stopping the T97's production.

After W.W.II the VW Beetle went on to international stardom selling millions of cars, while Tatra found itself stranded behind the iron curtain producing what the communists ordered them to do. The case of the patents was re-opened after W.W.II and was dragged on for years ending in 1961 when Volkswagen eventually made a settlement paying Tatra DM3,000,000. Ferdinand Porsche later admitted that he occasionally "looked over the shoulder" of Ledwinka..."

Thanks for the info Jen... much appreciated... there was a Tempo Matador at the VW Nationals in Sydney this year (or maybe last year).... these are very rare with only 1362 being made in 2 years . They are sort of (ugly) unusual looking... I wouldn't mind one...
It would be hot in the summer with the engine behind the seat.. but just think, You could adjust the ignition timing or replace the points etc in the rain and NOT get wet.... :bounce:bounce:bounce:bounce:bounce:bounce

[Edited on 17-8-2003 by 68AutoBug]

Dunno If I really like them, the back of em kinda look a bit spooky

Ree

I agree Ree, they are fuggly things.

So glad Volkswagen inproved on the look:thumb

Lee, I think I do remember seeing a Tempo at the Nationals now you mention it. Just didn't know about them then and it did not grab my attention greatly. This year was my first and I don't think I caught it in any of my pics.

Hmmm, I'm doubting my memory now:jesus

There was one at the 2002 German Car Day at York, WA. Think it was in the York Motor Museum Collection. Have a feeling it is being/has been transferred to the Fremantle Motor Museum. Had a pair of rear windows in front of the rear mounted engine, then another pair behind the engine, ie look through two panes of glass to see out the rear.

Double glazing, why? Insulation from the cold? Strange:alien

Shazza's long lost cousin!

Spot the difference:





[Edited on 23-8-2003 by XXX-1.8T]

heres another cool tatra site

http://www.autohistories.com/tatra

heres a cool pic I found



And heres an interesting pic of where Porsche and Ledwinka are comparing their cars - notice the Split beetle and the Karman ghia



man these cars look cool and funky i want one bad - how many are here in Oz?

Don't know if we do have any here. By the replies they have all been spotted overseas

They do sorta grow on you.

Love the illustration you found, very comic bookish

Is it a ticket for a show with a date on it?

Love the cousin to Shazza as well, very cool lines, nice looking ride.

OK the roof line is the same:thumb

Thanks for the info on Tatras... just looked at the site and the later model Tatras were Very Expensive... very nice also... they didn't look like a rear engined car at all. or air cooled...
thanks
Lee

Hey look at the scale model of the rag top Tatra on the right, it could be easily mistaken for a beetle if you didn't look closely at the back

Found it on the site xxx-1.8T posted

i want one!!!!

Can't wait to take advantage of that 3 litre V8 with 60Hp!

Wahhhhhh!!! Check this site out

OK the words are in Russian (VW Club of Russia) but look at the pics here in the timeline of Russian beetle history

Such a Tatra look, what ya reckon:thumb

http://www.beetle-club.ru/beetle/history/history1.htm

Go into the site it's really interesting, well has good pics of Russian VW's. We need a translator for the rest

[Edited on 2-9-2003 by jenz58]

[Edited on 2-9-2003 by jenz58]

there is a few here and i beleive i read somewhere that they are or did make air cooled trucks.....big arsed trucks too !
and yep they did V8 air coolers too !
still make stuff today ! some aircooled
:bounce

I found a couple of wind-up tin Tatra's today.....I'm very pleased!!

...from the back...two different models...even better:thumb

Hey - Jenz -

Where did you get those?

Any more left?

You went shopping on a Sunday ?

Never had Sunday shopping when I was a kid !

Never had a wind-up Tatra, either !

Cheers.

lol......Yep I went shopping on a Sunday :party

Nothing like a little retail therapy :thumb

I bought them at Poppy Shop in Lygon St Carlton...Tiamo/Readings side of street...and city side of Faraday....

They were the only two there.....

Poppy Shop has heaps of tin toys...always has.....If you're interested I'm sure they could get them in for you

It's so cool how they don't drive off of tables....amazing little design...and the key is so BIG

The boxing is pretty neat as well...that's why I took pics of the different side of them as well..

I'm Happy!!!

[Edited on 1-8-2004 by jenz58]

There is one for sale in Aust at the moment for $9500.
Not sure what condition, the pic is a rear on shot but not too bad.
They apparently had the same problem as beetles on mtn roads. With a flat 8 in them they slide out at the rear and killed too many german officers, so they were banned from driving them Just another little Czech bit for the war effort I think