FAIRBANKS – The Golden Days Parade this year features two Czechoslovakian imports that both traveled a long way to be here — Paul Gavora and his newly-renovated Tatra 87.

Much of the information here is courtesy of the Gavora family.

Paul Gavora, of course, is a well-known Fairbanksan. He was born in the small village of Brezova in western Slovakia in 1931. At the age of 16, he was forced to leave his home and family after the Soviets installed a puppet regime in Czechoslovakia after the war. He went first to Austria, then to Germany, and finally to America on a United Nations boat for war refugees.

In Colorado, he met his bride-to-be Donna Tighe and in 1958, they made their way to Fairbanks.

The Tatra 87 is also from Czechoslovakia, named after the mountain range that forms the border between Slovakia and Poland. It was built in 1947 by Tatra, one of the oldest car manufacturers in the world. Tatra has been producing cars and trucks since 1897.

This Tatra 87 originated in central Europe. The Tatra, a luxury five-seat sedan, was called the “Nazi killer” and the “Czech secret weapon” during World War II because it was so powerful and aerodynamic that German soldiers had a tendency to kill themselves in it speeding around occupied Czechoslovakia. It could reach speeds of nearly 100 mph.

Even today, nearly 70 years after it was manufactured, the Tatra 87 is a unique automobile. It is streamlined, based upon the design of the Tatra 77, the first car designed for aerodynamic purposes.

The car has three headlights. Its sleek, air-slicing curves are highlighted by a large rear fin. That fin helps divide the air pressure on both sides of the car, a technique used in later aircraft, according to Wikipedia.

Combine that design with a rear-mounted, air-cooled overhead cam V-8 engine, and you have a truly unique car that looks like a zeppelin and drives like a speedboat.

Design elements of this car were copied by later car manufacturers, including Ferdinand Porsch. He was sued by Tatra for his design of the Volkswagen Beetle.

This particular car was discovered about 25 years ago by Paul Gavora’s brother Svetozar. He acquired it as an undriveable, rusting hulk.

Sveto was determined to restore the car himself and he tinkered with it for years. Fifteen years ago, Paul Gavora came upon the vehicle, lying in pieces in Sveto’s garage in Slovakia.

It took years, but Paul finally convinced his brother to sell the car to him. Then Paul and his nephew Martin Gavora had the car shipped to the original Tatra headquarters in the Czech Republic to be restored.

The result is a gleaming blue, rare antique car with all its original parts, including the original V-8 engine.

From the Czech Republic, the newly-restored Tatra traveled by truck to Antwerp Belgium. From there, it was placed in a shipping container and made the long trip across the Atlantic, through the Panama Canal and up the West Coast to Seattle. There, Paul’s son Matthew Gavora put the car on a trailer and towed it up to Fairbanks.

Other Tatra 87s are on display in museums and private collections all over the world. But Fairbanksans can see the local Tatra 87 in the Golden Days Parade on Saturday, driven by owners Paul and Donna Gavora.

It’s a spectacular way to celebrate the end of a very long journey.

By Greg ZylaMore Content Now

Q: Hello Greg and I enjoy your articles. I’m wondering if you can give me some information on the T-600 Tatraplan automobile. I remember many years ago I saw an article I think you did on this car, but I have misplaced it. I also know the name Tataplan is really “foreign” to most car fans, but it was a car I do remember as I am retired now. My friend once had a 1947 Tatraplan, and it would be interesting to see what info you can further provide.

— John L., retired and happy at age 84 in Illinois.

A: John thanks much for reading my columns and yes, I did do an article on the Tatraplan about eight years ago that appeared in Auto Roundup Magazine. I explained that the only time I ever heard of a Tatraplan car came thanks to my good friend, and one of the real legends of drag racing namely the late Jack Kulp. Kulp built and raced drag cars in the early days of dragster and gasser competition. Kulp especially loved running foreign cars like Simcas and Triumphs, sometimes to the chagrin of the racing associations.

Kulp informed me he would have loved to run a Czechoslovakian-built Tatraplan, but he never really had access to one that he could turn into an AA/Gas Supercharged drag strip terror.

To your question, the Tatraplan cars were assembled by the Tatra car company from 1946 to 1952. The predecessor of the T-600 was a model 107, so your friend’s 1947 model received either the nomenclature of 107 or the newer T-600. The car was a result of a government sponsored, “centralized economic” communist plan in Czechoslovakia.

The Tatraplans were streamlined full-size family cars that came with a 1952cc inline horizontally opposed flat four-cylinder air-cooled engine placed between the rear axles. The body had a coefficient aerodynamic drag of 0.32, which was great for that era and the main reason Jack Kulp wanted one to race. The wheelbase was 110-inches.

Overall, some 6,432 T-600’s were sold from 1947 through 1952, but in late 1951, the Czech Department of Defense, which controlled all production of cars and trucks, informed Tatra they would now build trucks and that all cars would be built under the Skoda brand, the latter one two other government run car companies in the country at the time. The third car company in the Czech Republic was Praga.

In 1954, however, Tatra re-joined car building with a large passenger car with an air cooled V8 engine and transaxle. The V8 T603-engine had previously been developed and tested on the race track in Tatra experimental and race cars. It was used in the Tatra-603, and went on sale in 1955 and remained in production until 1975. In its’ 18 years of sales, a total of 20,422 T-603’s were built.

Following my article years ago, I also received a nice letter from a gentleman in Australia named Craig who pointed out some very interesting facts about the 1947 Tatraplan models. As he was rebuilding a 1950 model at the time, he noted that the 1947 Tatraplan could be a model 107 or a T-600.

Craig explained the differences noting that the T-600 was essentially the same vehicle as the 107 but featured a vertically mounted fan whereas the 107 had a horizontally mounted fan and just one carburetor instead of two on the T-600. Craig also has a 603 Tatra with the air cooled and rear mounted V8 and we thank him for his input.

Today, Tatra is still in business and ranks among the oldest car and truck manufacturers in the world with more than 116-years of continuous activity. Tatra still impacts the auto and truck industry in the Czech Republic and abroad.

In ending, it is also very notable that since March of 2013, the Tatra Trucks Company is now owned by Czech shareholders, a big change in the philosophy of free enterprise.

Thanks for your letter John.

— Greg Zyla writes weekly for More Content Now, BestRide.com and other Gatehouse Media publications. He welcomes reader questions on old cars, auto nostalgia and old-time motorsports at 303 Roosevelt St., Sayre, Pennsylvania 18840 or at greg@gregzyla.com.

By Greg ZylaMore Content Now

Q: Hello Greg and I enjoy your articles. I’m wondering if you can give me some information on the T-600 Tatraplan automobile. I remember many years ago I saw an article I think you did on this car, but I have misplaced it. I also know the name Tataplan is really “foreign” to most car fans, but it was a car I do remember as I am retired now. My friend once had a 1947 Tatraplan, and it would be interesting to see what info you can further provide.

— John L., retired and happy at age 84 in Illinois.

A: John thanks much for reading my columns and yes, I did do an article on the Tatraplan about eight years ago that appeared in Auto Roundup Magazine. I explained that the only time I ever heard of a Tatraplan car came thanks to my good friend, and one of the real legends of drag racing namely the late Jack Kulp. Kulp built and raced drag cars in the early days of dragster and gasser competition. Kulp especially loved running foreign cars like Simcas and Triumphs, sometimes to the chagrin of the racing associations.

Kulp informed me he would have loved to run a Czechoslovakian-built Tatraplan, but he never really had access to one that he could turn into an AA/Gas Supercharged drag strip terror.

To your question, the Tatraplan cars were assembled by the Tatra car company from 1946 to 1952. The predecessor of the T-600 was a model 107, so your friend’s 1947 model received either the nomenclature of 107 or the newer T-600. The car was a result of a government sponsored, “centralized economic” communist plan in Czechoslovakia.

The Tatraplans were streamlined full-size family cars that came with a 1952cc inline horizontally opposed flat four-cylinder air-cooled engine placed between the rear axles. The body had a coefficient aerodynamic drag of 0.32, which was great for that era and the main reason Jack Kulp wanted one to race. The wheelbase was 110-inches.

Overall, some 6,432 T-600’s were sold from 1947 through 1952, but in late 1951, the Czech Department of Defense, which controlled all production of cars and trucks, informed Tatra they would now build trucks and that all cars would be built under the Skoda brand, the latter one two other government run car companies in the country at the time. The third car company in the Czech Republic was Praga.

In 1954, however, Tatra re-joined car building with a large passenger car with an air cooled V8 engine and transaxle. The V8 T603-engine had previously been developed and tested on the race track in Tatra experimental and race cars. It was used in the Tatra-603, and went on sale in 1955 and remained in production until 1975. In its’ 18 years of sales, a total of 20,422 T-603’s were built.

Following my article years ago, I also received a nice letter from a gentleman in Australia named Craig who pointed out some very interesting facts about the 1947 Tatraplan models. As he was rebuilding a 1950 model at the time, he noted that the 1947 Tatraplan could be a model 107 or a T-600.

Craig explained the differences noting that the T-600 was essentially the same vehicle as the 107 but featured a vertically mounted fan whereas the 107 had a horizontally mounted fan and just one carburetor instead of two on the T-600. Craig also has a 603 Tatra with the air cooled and rear mounted V8 and we thank him for his input.

Today, Tatra is still in business and ranks among the oldest car and truck manufacturers in the world with more than 116-years of continuous activity. Tatra still impacts the auto and truck industry in the Czech Republic and abroad.

In ending, it is also very notable that since March of 2013, the Tatra Trucks Company is now owned by Czech shareholders, a big change in the philosophy of free enterprise.

Thanks for your letter John.

— Greg Zyla writes weekly for More Content Now, BestRide.com and other Gatehouse Media publications. He welcomes reader questions on old cars, auto nostalgia and old-time motorsports at 303 Roosevelt St., Sayre, Pennsylvania 18840 or at greg@gregzyla.com.

Original article: http://www.pjstar.com/news/20160627/cars-we-remember-government-built-czech-tataplan-memories

TEILNEHMER MATTSEE TATRA-TREFFEN 2016

1 Friehs, Rudolf A T 11 1923

2 Steffen Dirk D T 57 Sport 1931

3 Fanderl, Johann D T 57 1933

4 Spiess, Erich A T 57 sport 1933

5 Suchy, Bohumir CZ T 57 1sport 1933

6 Müller, Jan CZ T 57 sport 1934

7 Hoffmann, Helmuth A T 57 sport 1934

8 Steiner, Walter A T 57a Halbcabrio 1935

9 Frohberg, Thomas D T 57a Halbcabrio 1936

10 Altendorfer, Joachim D T 57a 1936

11 Engl, Hans A Austro-Tatra T 57/L 1937

12 Smit, Kees NL T 57K 1943

12A Toloch, Jiří CZ T 17 1927

14 Pitsch, Oskar A T 30L Taxi 1928

15 Veřmiřovský, Jiří CZ T 54 1931

16 Brablík, Libor CZ T 75 1936

17 Leitner, Helmut A T 75 1938

18 Kasík, Pavel CZ T 77 1936

19 Maralik, Aleš CZ T 87 1947

20 Staffen, Alfred A T 600 1949 4 Vergaser sport

21 Colloredo-Mansfeld, Jerome T 600 1952

22 Litschauer, Josef A T 600 1952

23 Mezzera, Mario I T 603 1961

24 Forker, Peter D T 603 1962

25 Forker, Steffen D T 603 1966

26 Fährmann, Andreas D T 603 1966

27 Holzinger, Bruno A T 603 1969

28 Bieber, Ernst A T 603 1972

29 Baláš, Stanislav CZ T 603 1972

30 Kubizňák, Zdenek CZ T 603 1972

31 Pirovano, Ferdinando I T 603 1973

32 Meier, Ernst CH T 603 1975

33 Beez, Gernot D T 613

34 Carstensen, Svend DK T 613S 1987

35 Kocisko, Rudolf DK T 613 1992

37     Pierre Steichen L T 613

38 Berger, René D Corvair Corsa 1965

39 Pelikan, Klaus D Citroen DS

40 Ivo Prochaska CZ T 613-5

Trebing, Max D ohne

Heinlein, Günther D ohne

Henkel, Roland D ohne

Please kindly accept a notice of initiation of a new exhibition at the Technical Museum Tatra Kopřivnice on the theme: “And not only … the Tatra military trucks and other specialty equipment from Kopřivnice 1900 – 1945″ exhibition opening will be held on Thursday, April 28, 2016 at 16 o’clock. The exhibition will run until 4 December 2016. The exhibition traces the development of military equipment that was manufactured in Koprivnice in the years 1900 – 1945. On display are not only contemporary photographs from the collections of the Regional Museum in Kopřivnice but also images of military vehicles and equipment from a real environment. The exhibition was also loaned to selected types of models at a scale of 1:35 and of course the choice surviving military equipment from the collections of the Technical Museum.

“And not only … the Tatra military trucks and other specialty equipment from Kopřivnice 1900 – 1945″ exhibitionwill be held from April 28 to December 4, 2016. The exhibition showes the development of military equipment that was manufactured in Koprivnice in the years 1900 – 1945. On display are not only contemporary photographs from the collections of the Regional Museum in Kopřivnice, but also images of military vehicles and equipment shot in practice.  The exhibition was also loaned  selected types of models at a scale of 1:35 and of course a choice of surviving military equipment from the collections of the Technical Museum.