http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/street-smarts/bizarre-car-week-1971-tatra-2-603-article-1.2343488

In the 50s, after the Czechoslovak roads plowed most Spartak. A magnificent machine Júlia Kubinského, which almost got into production.

Roadsters or grand tourer and communist Czechoslovakia and do not go together too.However, there have been attempts, but all ended in failure more or less, and often it was the intervention of the communist government. Consider need for Skoda 110 Super Sport from 1969 or even on older piece of Skoda 1100 OHC 50s, which is still so beautiful until nejednomu petrolhead knees go weak.

Skoda, however, not only produced concepts that get into production was not realistic. Tatra to also have something to say and the machine, you are looking at the photos, also bears her name. It’s Tatra JK 2500, which worked designer Julius Kubinská in the first half of the 50s.He had gone through years of work on other cars, including those that were built on the foundations of the German military machine KdF. Also in Brno, just after the Second World War built racing cars with engines Alfa Romeo or BMW.

JK 2500 is the ninth Kubinského machine and began to take shape in 1951 – 1952. Kubinská was working in Brno Karosa and its management considered what will be produced, to cease military production. This however did not happen and the plant spewed box bodies to immortal Praga V3S. Yet in 1952 he created Kubinská along with sixteen other employees of Karosa main part of JK 2500, but had reportedly postponed the project until 1955. At that time he was finished, he in his spare time and in my own garage.

Interesting is definitely chassis. Front axle has been modified German car KdF and workshops VW / Porsche apparently came too tender. Rear axle De Dion has worked, which has a differential securely attached to the car chassis, two swinging half-axles and called. De Dion tube. It provides, in simple terms, that both wheels have the same deflection at any moment. If one wheel moves on inequality, the latter also lists, but will remain in contact with bitumen. If both wheels at once on the same inequality simultaneously, eg. A transverse wave in the asphalt, just this pipe to ensure that they have the best possible contact with the road.Compared to modern McPherson or double wishbones it looks pretty outdated, but remember that we are in 1951. De Dion axle is still better than a torsion beam axle or swinging before he was fitted for example. Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing .

Beautiful body JK 2500 is based on the spatial tubular frame on which are mounted an outer sheets. All parts of the frame were reportedly made of seamless pipes from normal trade, but some parts are a bit modified. Custom parts produced in minumum chassis, body panels are hand-hammering under the leadership of a body builder, John Heger. Wire wheels have a diameter of 16 “and are derived as well as drum brakes of Lancia Aurelia.

Also notice the use of two fuel tanks, each with a capacity of about 30 liters that have been placed behind the rear wheels. Rear overhang of this car is not entirely a small, after all, the machine has a wheelbase of 2300 mm and the length is 4050 mm. For comparison, Favorit had a wheelbase of over 2,4 meters. And the weight? Empty JK 2500 weighed 1,160 kilograms and the weight distribution ratio of 51:49 front: rear axle.

Under the hood was initially a 2.5-liter inline six-cylinder Alfa Romeo, which gave 90 horses.The four-speed gearbox also came from Alfa Romeo, but even then there were thoughts of Czechoslovak osmiválec. And when it was completed the development of air-cooled 2.5 liter V8 Tatra, this engine just went under the hood. Get it certainly was not easy, even when the entire Tatra 603 for which it was designed this eight-cylinder engine, was not normally buy.

Tatra osmiválec originally said about the performance of only 75 horses under the hood hardly made it, some parts had to be modified and had created a spacer that could consolidate the Italian transmission, but finally came. Even large coolers could disappear, because this engine has liquid cooling. In their place and could move into the spare wheel.Only this engine but it was the reason why the Tatra truck appoints JK 2500, construction of Tatra originates and is sometimes mistakenly attributed to her.

The heated air from the motor is directly fed by the front glass, which was needed in winter, it was excellent heating. Conscription, however, was insufficient, and later moved in behind the front wheels have chrome vents, which helped divert hot air from the engine. Obviously it was quite a lot.

Official presentation of the car came in 1958 in Kopřivnice, although in the World Engine with the headline “Also, we can do it ‘this car already appeared in 1956. It was a great success, but also the attention of the authorities,” the wrong “- where he took his Kubinská construction money, was one of their questions. For now, however, came Tatry offer the manufacture and sale of five units of this car. It was also associated with the position of the developer in Tatra.

Production has finally taken place, but the car was tested two weeks in Koprivnice. Then, under his hood also he got V8 engine with full power, such as it was in the Tatra 603, ie 140 hp. Also at that time on the car was a new fifteen-alloy wheels whose openings stretched when driving the cooling air to the drum brakes. They have a smaller diameter compared to the original, but he was effective.

Julius Kubínská with this car, then drove 13 years in normal operation, but to no production occurred, even short-run. All the commotion woke appropriate, this car was in the Czechoslovak roads revelation, no one else had such. But look at him, not given to much contemporary Ferrari. Kubínská later sold the car and where it is now, we do not know.Perhaps somewhere in the barn waiting to be discovered and renovation …

Original URL: http://www.autoforum.cz/fascinace/tatra-jk-2500-ceske-ferrari-z-50tych-let-bere-dech-jeste-dnes/

The former Marcel Schoo Tatra Phoenix, now owned by the Riwald Dakar Team, experienced lack of power and brakes that were running too hot in the 2015 Dakar.  The Tatra now has a Volvo/Renault engine giving an extra 300 hp and 1200-1300 Nm extra. Brakes are now ceramic ones, giving much improvement.

Engine http://www.riwalddakar.com/2015/300-pk-extra/

Brakes http://www.riwalddakar.com/2015/keramische-remmen/

In the July 2015 The Automobile issue, Delwyn Mallet presents a 8 page article on the streamlining of the thirties.  He surveys the pioneering use of wind tunnels in automotive body design, focussing on the influential work of Hungarian aerodynamicist Paul Jaray. Two third of the pages are covered with wonderfull purposely made photos in thirties’style made in the Farnborough 24-foot windtunnel as well as contemporary photos.

http://www.theautomobile.co.uk/july-2015-issue/

We hoped that that this old fairy tale isn’t taken seriously anymore nowadays, but the Telegraph published it again…..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/hay-festival/11632594/The-car-that-destroyed-Nazis.html

Just have a look at the truck cabin doors

http://zen.e15.cz/automobil/v-mad-max-fury-road-si-zahrala-i-tatra-815-ale-nepoznate-ji-1191054

Tatra Kopřivnice at IDET 2015, the selected representative’s current production and is mainly the result of cooperation with the company Nexter Systems.

Dutch news sites reports that Ales Loprais will join the De Rooij’s Iveco team to fight the mighty KAMAZ team in next year’s Dakar

https://www.facebook.com/dakartrucks.nl/posts/349002198626440?notif_t=notify_me

http://www.motorpasionf1.com/dakar/ales-loprais-la-alternativa-a-kamaz-e-iveco

Older article, but still interesting

http://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-european/curbside-classic-tatra-603-this-could-have-been-the-first-new-post-war-cadillac-olds-studebaker-or/