Back in 1999, Thai newspaper Pattaya Mail mentioned the existence of a 1933 V8 Tatra. They wrote: “Thailand has some amazing (it’s that word again!) rare motor vehicles lurking in sheds all over the country. Up in Chiang Mai I found some corkers. Try these on for size – a 1924 Hanomag, a 1933 Tatra (the alloy V8 engined one), a Fiat 500 Topolino (AKA Topple over), an MG VA roadster and a three wheeler Morgan circa 1920 something.” http://www.pattayamail.com/330/columns.htm#hd12
Since 2001 Tatra World has been trying to find out the fate and whereabouts of this Thai Tatra. Was it a T77, a T87 or a Tatraplan?
16 april 2001
Hello from David Hardy here in Chiangmai, Northern Thailand. I am a journalist with over 30 years experience in motoring and motorsport, so I know a Tatra when I see it. And I saw one here in Chiangmai last month and I have heard it may be for sale.
It actually looks like a Tatraplan (c 1960) in apparently good condition, but horrible-2-shade green colours.
It looks totally complete and original but I can only see it from 15 metres distance, undercover in a locked yard. I wonder if it was formerly a Bangkok embassy car?
I will try to find out more – can you advise me of possible value?
Thanks,
DH
12 november 2002
This Tantra was in the town of Chiang Mai, Northern part of Thailand. It was in the Classic cars collection of Mr. Aui-Peng or Aui-Peng garage. He has many kind of unrestored Classic cars. I have seen the car about 3 years ago. The body of the car was all original except the engine was not original. Its engine was replace by a Japanese type engine. I went to Chiang Mai again this year and the car has sold to an unknown owner. I am trying to find the car and its current owner. However I believe it is somewhere in Thailand. If I could find any new information about the car I would let you know.
Attacthed please find the Aui-Peng’s Classic cars collections. I have taken the photo this year but the
Tatra is not there anymore. Hope to contact with you again in the near future.
Regards
Pravut
ThaiAntiqueCar
In January 2003 the Pattaya Mail asked its readers after putting up a Tatra in a quiz question “” However, there was another car, long before the Corvette, that had a split back window and a ridge running down from the roof to the tail. What was it? Clues – it was European and rear engined. Now I can’t make it any easier than that!”" http://www.pattayamail.com/493/auto.shtml the whereabouts of the car. It said: “By the way, I spotted a Tatra in a small village just outside Chiang Mai a few years ago. Anybody seen it since?” http://www.pattayamail.com/494/auto.shtml The quiz and the succeeding question of its whereabouts were also published in the leading Chiang Mai Newspaper, the Chiang Mai Mail. See http://www.chiangmai-mail.com/013/auto.shtml
Contacts continued and in 2004 I got another clue.
9 april 2004
Good Morning from Chiangmai!
No – not forgotten you. Not yet! I am just a LITTLE closer to the Tatraplan. If you look on www.gmorning.info go to the previous issue (March) and click on Good Motoring.
You will see there an open letter to the Governor (senior govt official of Chiangmai province and thus the most senior man in the north here). We invited him to hold a classic car festival and, since then, he has agreed! We then ran round to the 4 most important owners of cars (maybe 55 between them) and invited them to join. All agreed. Sadly the Tatra owner is the only one who speaks no English. However he did say that the best of his cars will be displayed in a museum by the end of the year and he will give us a preview in September. All of them are unbelievably secretive.
Still, after all this time, I hope to get you some decent pictures and info by then.
Can you trace any records? Would this have been a Russian Embassy car when new?
Cheers,
David
10 april 2004
Hello, Good morning from Amsterdam.
I’m happy that you have managed to organise a classic car festival. Looking forward to a report about your visit to the Tatra owner and even maybe a photo.
Before I can trace records, I need a photo. Previously you spoke about Tatra, now about Tatraplan. The Tatraplan fits in your description of the car “tiny rear windows”. But I would like to be sure. As the car is Czechoslovak, I believe it is highly unlikely that the car was ever a Russian embassy car.
Thanks
Kees Smit
E-mails weren’t answered anymore since 2005 and contacts dried up.
Just this week the Thai Tatra mystery seemed solved. According to www.mychiangmai.com the car was first bought some years ago from Khun Kietisak and recently restored. It is now sold as part of a collection of around 50 Chiang Mai based classic cars – including the whole Antique Cars Museum collection – to the Jessada Technik Museum at Nakon Pathom near Bangkok. http://www.mychiangmai.com/page/2/
Jesadatechnikmuseum: http://www.jesadatechnikmuseum.com
Tatraplan: http://www.jesadatechnikmuseum.com/product_detail.php?qid=10&v=1