TheTatra 600,named theTatraplan,was arear-enginedlarge family car(D-segmentinEurope) produced from 1948 to 1952 by theCzechmanufacturerTatra.The first prototype was finished in 1946.
| Tatra 600 Tatraplan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Tatra, a. s. |
| Production |
|
| Assembly |
|
| Designer |
|
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Large family car(D) |
| Body style | 4-doorfastbacksaloon |
| Layout | RR layout |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1952 cc (2.0L)Tatra 600Flat-4 |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual[1] |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,700 mm (106.3 in) |
| Length | 4,540 mm (178.7 in) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Tatra 97 |
| Successor | Tatra 603 |
History
editAfterWorld War II,Tatracontinued its pre-war business of building passenger cars in addition tocommercial vehiclesandmilitary vehicles.The factory was nationalised in 1946 two years before theCommunisttakeover. Although production of pre-war models continued, a new model, the Tatra 600 Tatraplan was designed in 1946-47 by Josef Chalupa, Vladimír Popelář,František KardausandHans Ledwinka.The name of the car celebrated the new Communistplanned economybut also referred to aeroplane inspiration ('éroplan' means aeroplane in colloquial Czech).
Originally the 600 was known as theTatra 107,continuing from Tatra's previous aerodynamic cars- the 77, 87, and 97- as it was intended as a newer, smaller, and cheaper version to replace the outdatedTatra 57.Tatra switched to a new numbering system after WWII, with all car model codes began with 600; as a result, the Tatra 107 became the Tatra 600.
After two prototypes "Ambrož" (December 1946) and "Josef" (March 1947), the 600 went into mass production in 1948. In 1951, the state planning department decided that the Tatraplan should henceforth be built at theSkoda Autoplant inMladá Boleslav,leaving Tatra to concentrate on truck assembly. This was quite unpopular with the workforce at both plants: as a result Skoda built Tatraplans for one year only before the model was discontinued in 1952.[2]
The Tatraplan had amonocoquestreamlinedponton-styled6-seatfastbacksaloonbody with frontsuicide doorsand adrag coefficient(Cd) of just 0.32.[2][3][4]It was powered by anair-cooledflat-four cylinder, 1,952 cc rear-mounted engine. 6,342 were made, 2,100 of them in Mladá Boleslav. In 2010, in theUK,the Tatraplan won the 'Classic Carof the Year' competition in the 1940s category.
Models
edit- Tatra 107 - original designation of 600.
- Tatra 201-commercialversion of 600, four built (a pickup truck, a panel van, and two ambulances) in 1947. Unlike the 600, the 201 was front-engined.
- Tatra 600 Diesel - similar to 600 but with 2.0Ldiesel engine,three prototypes built in 1949.
- Tatra 601 Monte Carlo- a 2-doorsports carbased on the 600, one (possibly two) built in 1949.
- Tatra 602 Tatraplan Sports- aracing carbased on the 600, 2 built in 1949.
Gallery
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Tatra 600 Tatraplan in an exhibition -
Tatra 600 -
Tatra 600 engine-bay -
Tatra 600 at theTampa Bay Automobile Museum
Notes
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Streamlined Tatras
- Tatra V5701931, 1933
- Tatra 771933-1938
- Tatra 871936-1950
- Tatra 971936-1939
- Tatra 6001946-1952
- Tatra 6031956-1975
- ^Gloor, Roger (2007).Alle Autos der 50er Jahre 1945 - 1960(1. ed.). Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag.ISBN978-3-613-02808-1.
- ^ab"Tatra T600 Tatraplan".Tatra T600 Tatraplan.
- ^Rosenkranz, Karel (2002),Tatra, Autoalbum(in Czech), Brno: MS Press, p. 107,ISBN978-80-900915-9-7
- ^Janik, Martin (2004),Tatra(in Czech), Brno: Computer Press, p. 76,ISBN80-7226-573-3
References
edit- Margolius, Ivan: 'Tatra T600 – Tatraplan',Architectural Design,vol. 71, no. 5, September 2001, London, pp. 84–88.
- Field, Ben: 'Smooth Operator',Classic Carsmagazine, May 2010, pp. 88–92
- Margolius, Ivan and Henry, John G:Tatra - The Legacy of Hans Ledwinka,SAF Publishing, Harrow 1990,ISBN0-946719-06-3
- Margolius, Ivan and Henry, John G:Tatra - The Legacy of Hans Ledwinka,Veloce Publishing, Dorchester 2015,ISBN978-1-845847-99-9
External links
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Media related toTatra 600 Tatraplanat Wikimedia Commons