Tatra's 150th anniversary

The factory produced its first car "Präsident" in 1897

Tatra's 150th anniversary

The Czech car factory Tatra Kopřivnice celebrates 150 years of its existence this year. Its first car "Präsident" was one of the firsts in the World.
Nobody knows for sure today why Ignác Schustala, farmer and wheelwright, set up manufacturing of carriages at his brother's Kopřivnice house after returning from Vienna in 1850. He was granted a factory licence in 1852. A lack of money pressed Schustala to a merger giving birth to "Schustala & Comp." five years later. The company flourished and became purveyour to the Hapsburg court in 1866. The firm's name was changed to "Nesseldorfer Wagenbau-Fabriks-Gesseldorfer" after new investors took over the company assets in 1891.
Towards the end of 19th century then company director Hugo Fischer learnt there was a time for a brand-new transport. In 1897 the Kopřivnice firm started production of its first car, thus becomming one of the first car producers in the World.
Theodor Liebig, a great fan of motoring and himself one of the first racing drivers, adviced designers to use a modified carriage from the Mylord line as a basis for the new vehicle. Liebig also persuaded then already famous German Benz to provide its new motor. It was a horizontal four-stroke double-ciliner water-cooled engine giving a load of 6.6 horse-power. The drive was transmitted with a toggle-joint chain to the rear driving-wheels of 1100 mm in diameter. The car was steered with handle-bars tagged on to a post which, by being pushed forwards or backwards, shifted gears. The car was named "Präsident" after its completion.
Today the original Präsident can be seen in the Prague Museum of Technics, and a replica is also exhibited in the Regional Museum of Tatra Cars in Kopřivnice. A replica of the first Tatra truck (made in 1898) is a part of the exhibition, too - among other unique cars.

Petr Melničuk
(HN na víkend, Page 1 and 8)