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Tatra's specialty was luxury cars of a technically advanced nature. In the 1930s, under Austrian engineer Hans Ledwinka and his son Erich, Tatra started building advanced, streamlined cars starting with the large Tatra T77 in 1934, the world's first production aerodynamic car. The T77's drag coefficient of 0.212 is rarely bettered even by the sleekest modern cars. It featured, as did almost all subsequent big Tatras, a rear-mounted, air-cooled V8 engine, very technically sophisticated for the time.
Ledwinka discussed design ideas with Ferdinand Porsche, and a comparison between the designs of Tatra cars and Porsche's 1938 Kdf-Wagen (known as the VW Beetle after the war) it is clear to see how Porsche borrowed many of Ledwinka's ideas, particularly as embodied in the relatively small T97 model --4-cylinder, rear-mounted, air-cooled engine, beetle-like styling. Already before WW2 Tatra sued over the matter, but the matter wasn't settled until after the war when Volkswagen paid up.
After the invasion of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany, Tatras continued in production, largely because Germans liked the cars. Liked them too well, in fact; many German officers met their deaths when pushing heavy, rear-engined Tatras faster around corners than they could handle. In fact, the Tatra became known as the 'Czech Secret Weapon' for the scores of officers who died behind the wheel; at one point, it seems, official orders had to be issued forbidding German officers from driving Tatras.
Postwar, Tatras continued to be built; the factory was nationalised in 1946 after the Communist takeover. Although production of prewar models continued, a new model, the Tatra T600 TatraplanThe Tatraplan was the model T600 Tatra car. Post World War II, Tatras continued to be built; the factory was nationalised in 1948 after the Communist takeover. Although production of prewar models continued, a new model, the Tatra T600 Tatraplan was desig was designed -- the name celebrating the new Communist planned economy. It went into production in 1947Events January January 1 British mines nationalized January 1 Nigeria gains limited autonomy January 1 The Canadian Citizenship Act went into effect January 3 Proceedings of the United States Congress are televised for the first time. January 10 United Na. In 1951, the state planning department decided that the Tatraplan should henceforth be built at the Skoda plant in Mlada BoleslavTown in central Bohemia, Czech Republic, 43,399 inhabitants (2002). Founded after 940 by king Boleslav as royal castle. Later, town privilege was established and Mlada Boleslav became important place on road from Prague to northern Bohemia, Lusatia and Br, leaving Tatra free to concentrate on trucks. 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. This left Czechoslovakia with no home-built luxury cars.