Tatra Freunde International, present at Essen with a club stand for 15 years now, chose a scene from the 1985 Fiva rally as a theme this year.  25 years ago this year, the late Peter Krug’s T75 burned down at that very rally. The TFI crew copied this scene  combinng a T75 chassis, old body parts, puposely burned seats, coal, black paint, ashes, and a smoke gun resulting in a very realistic impression. Accompanied by german Tatra enthusiast Uwe Engbert’s T 75, in fact Peter Krug’s restored T 75 after it had been lost in flames, was present as well, as a real phoenix. The public liked the spectacular stand and was well informed by posters and leaflets on the fire of the unhappy T75. Tatra fans, comforted by beer and coffee gathered at the TFI stand, gossiping, exchanging news making plans for the coming Tatra season.

With their rounded shape, T 603s of the “Tatra Freunde Sachsen” (Saxony Tatra friends) every now and then line up in the centre of Dresden, trying to seduce tourists to pay a visit to the Ledwinka exhibition closeby. It happened once more on March 28, when a special guided tour was offered by Thomas Giesel, curator for road traffic of the Verkehrsmuseum Dresden. Just one other special guided tour will be held on April 18th at 11 am, before the exhibition will close down on May 16, International Museum Day, with a special accompanying program starting 11 am. Hans Ledwinka’s granddaughter, Hanne Mader, has promised to be present. That very afternoon, Dresden’s town centre will be crowded with Dixieland bands creating a cosy atmosphere and once more,  Tatras of the Tatra Freunde Saxony will be present again to attract visitors for the Ledwinka exhibition.

Location: Parking area in front of the Verkehrsmuseum Dresden im JOHANNEUM, Augustusstraße 1, 01067 Dresden

http://www.verkehrsmuseum-dresden.de

Exhibition opening report (in German)

More March 28 photos

NOTAM: NOrdic TAtra Meeting

We hereby invite all Tatra fans to the first international Tatra rally in Denmark. The Danish Tatra enthusiasts call themselves ‘The Tatrovaks’ and they have over a number of years had a number of informal national meetings.

Now the time has come to gather a larger number of Tatra fans on an international basis. What better place to organise such a meeting than one of the most beautiful parts of Denmark; The southern part of the island of Funen. This is an area of outstanding beauty, many attractions (among which of course are a couple of interesting car collections!) and the beautiful archipelago south of Funen

Detailed info at: http://www.tatrovak.dk/gb-index.html

Only a few places left!

The organizers of T.F.I. Delegatione Italiana around Elsa Spinelli and Mario Mezzera are glad about the vivid interest in their event and about the variety of the starting field. Who hasn’t registered yet should hurry up!

Here is the download of the invitation in English. Trescore_Invit_e.pdf

And here the download of the multi lingual registrationform. Trescore_Appl_final.pdf

The program is really lovely: Besides a visit of worth seeing old town of Bergamo, trips over picturesque roads in the scenic hinterland, the visit of medieval Clusone and idyllic Lago d’Iseo – it will provide many a picky delicacy.

Also in culinary means some highlights will to be expected, drinks are included in the entry fee anyway.

(www.tatraclub.at)

Tatra enthusiasts who like to compete in meetings have to make up their minds. The meetings this year are spread across Europe and the first meeting, TFI’s May 13-16 Italian Trescore Balneario meeting (see www.tatraclub.at) is held in two months time. The meeting is quite promising with much attention paid to the Italian cuisine and I cannot think of any other Tatra meeting with a sexier name than this one. Those who prefer the summer however could choose the July 4 Aarberg (near the Swiss capital Bern) meeting organised by an as always enthusiastic Swiss crew  (www.tatra.ch) or the July  22-25 TRD Bavaria meeting in Wemding for those who favour to taste Franz Josef Strauss’country site  (www.tatra-register.de.)

 In the First weekend of August we are all invited at the Tatra Register UK (www.tatra-register.co.uk) meeting near Dover, just across the Channel, so why don’t we grant our Tatras a seasickness (air-cooled Tatras do not throw-up!) and a left-hand traffic experience? In the last weekend of August our Danish friends are keen to see us all at the Isle of Fünen (Fyn) at their First Nordic Rally. Though their website (www.tatrovak.dk) has not published  details yet, it has been confirmed that the August 27-29 rally is ON! In the traditional first weekend in September, all classic Tatras should head for the Beskydy rally in Horni Becva/Koprivnice. It is the mother of all Czecho-Slovak Tatra rallies with always rare Tatras showing up. Finally, to close the season, the Dutch Tatra Register hopes to see us all in  the hilly very southern part of Holland for a tatste of Indian Summer on their October 1-3 annual meeting. (www.tatraregister.nl/agenda)

While speeding across mainland Europe we should not forget to visit the Jan. 19 – May 16 Ledwinka exhibition in Dresden (http://www.verkehrsmuseum-dresden.de/user_upload/bilder/ledwinka1.pdf) or this year’s April 7-11 Techno Classica in Essen (http://www.siha.de/tce_uk.php) featuring, as always, a stand of the Tatra Freunde International (www.tatraclub.at)

See you sometime, somewhere!

The classic car season started early this year with a Eastern bloc classic car show in a greenhouse in Aalsmeer, the Dutch flower and bulbgrowing capital. Soviet Scaldias, Ladas, Pobiedas,Volgas, East German Barkases, Trabants, Wartburgs and even a rare Wartburg based Melkus sports car all showed up. Poland showed a Syrena and a Warszawa while Czechoslovakia was represented by several Skodas as well as  T 87 and T 613 Tatras. Blessed by georgous weather that made the greenhouse an oven, the admission-free show also presented all kind of commie motorcycles and even East-German two-stroke speed boats.

Especially those who were interested in several Eastern bloc brands had a good time with senior Tatra enthusiast mrs Barends (photo) eventually finding courage to tell the East German Checkpoint Charlie guard the truth about communism.

(Photos: Bert Barends, Peter Visser)

A photo impression can be viewed at the organiser’s website:
http://www.pietpruttel.nl/Oost%20Europa%20Dag%202010.html

Rolf Ackermann, long standing Tatra fan who always has to miss important rallies as they conflict with his profession as a flower tradesman, used the winter to try his lovely T 57 Sport in the Schottenrally. Just kilometers from the start, the engine refused, manpower did not give the hoped results and Ackermann in the end had to use his post-war Mercedes 170 as a replacement.

Read about Schottenrally in German:

http://ticker.mercedes-benz-passion.com/rennsport/7465_schotten-winter/

Eastern Europe cars and motorcycle fans will be able to admire Trabant, Wartburg, Barkas, Moskvich, Lada, FSO, Volga, GAZ, Skoda and Tatra cars as well as MZ, Ural-Dnepr, Jawa and other motorcycles.

Several clubs will present themselves, with 2 Takt Vrienden Nederland, Russische Klassieker Club Nederland, Ladaclub, Skodaclub en Ostalgie Stammtisch Kempen having comfirmed their presentation..

Adress Legmeerdijk 133 (1432 KA) Aalsmeer. Show starts at 12.00.

http://www.oldtimernieuws.nl/?p=3619

Several cyclist tours have forced TRN to postpone their annual event from the third weekend of september to the first weekend of october.

more info: http://www.tatraregister.nl/index.php?page=home