The origin of the Tatra Mountains dates back to 1850, when Ignác Šustala established a workshop dealing in the production of horse drawn carriage, which was produced until 1925. In 1881, the company’s activities were expanded to include the production of railway wagons. And in 1897, the first passenger car was produced, based on the Benza automobile – the Präsident model. The company was named Tatra in 1921. What is the further story of Tatra?

The history of the Tatra brand

In the 1920s Tatra started production of technologically advanced trucks and passenger cars, and in the 1930s, thanks to the engineer Hans Ledwinka, he entered the market of cars with low aerodynamic resistance. In later years, Tatra developed the family of their aerodynamic vehicles. T87 and T97 models were built, and soon after the Second World War the production of the 600 Tatraplan model began, which was a continuation of the pre-war aerodynamic traditions of vehicles. In 2003, the American company Terex Corporation bought a majority stake in the company (71%). In 2011, 19% of the company’s shares were purchased by DAF Trucks [2]. The first result of cooperation with the Dutch concern is the new model Tatra Phoenix (type 158) presented in August 2011, in which the cabs and engines supplied by DAF were used.

Currently, you can watch individual Tatra models at the Tatra Museum. Tatra plants also produced the Czechoslovak high-speed train Slovenská Strela.

Source: wikipedia.org