http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=em-upload_owner&v=yGUu_5VzXfM&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DyGUu_5VzXfM%26feature%3Dem-upload_owner&app=desktop

Tatra Phoenix was chosen “Best utility vehicle in Russia” in the “Perspective of the Year” competition organized annually by the specialized magazine “Kommerčeskij transport”.

http://www.auto.cz/tatra-phoenix-ocenena-v-rusku-76741

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2013/09/12/cars-of-futures-past-tatra-t77-and-t87/

Original Dutch text: http://www.racexpress.nl/index.php?nav=Artikel&nid=52344

http://www.dakarteamholland.nl/index.php?op=viewpage&page=151&mod_op=show_item&content_id=197&return_op=main

Almost a year after it filed a case against Lt Gen (retd) Tejinder Singh, following former Army chief Gen (retd) V K Singh’s allegations of bribery against him, the CBI is likely to file a closure report soon.

In March last year, V K Singh had alleged that Tejinder Singh had offered him Rs 14 crore for clearing a tranche of “sub-standard” Tatra trucks for the Army. He alleged that Tejinder Singh had met him on September 22, 2010, and offered him the money on behalf of Ravi Rishi, owner of Vectra group.

In October last year, the CBI filed a case against Tejinder Singh. But a year later, the agency is reported to have drawn a blank.

The decision to file a closure report is learnt to have been discussed at a recent review meeting of senior CBI officers, which was also attended by CBI director Ranjit Sinha.

Investigating officials are now waiting for a CFSL report on a CD that was provided by V K Singh, of the purported conversation in which Tejinder Singh made the bribe offer. The CD, however, is reported to be malfunctioning.

CBI officials said nearly 50 people had been examined but they were unable to get any leads.

The “record of discussion”, an entry reportedly made by V K Singh in his daily diary at that time, is not strong evidence, said officials. While there is no doubt that Tejinder Singh visited V K Singh on that day, there is no proof that he offered a bribe, they said.

“It will be difficult for us to prove such allegations unless we get more direct evidence. It is therefore unlikely that we will pursue the case further,” said a senior CBI official.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/tatra-cbi-set-to-file-closure-report-in-bribery-case-against-tejinder-singh/1166487/

COVER STORY: From another time, and another world

Gary Cullen’s 1948 Tatra T-87 is one of many unique automobiles on display this Sunday at the 10th annual Ladner Quilt Walk and Car ShowAdrian MacNairBy Robert Mangelsdorf – South Delta LeaderPublished: August 15, 2013 12:00 PMUpdated: August 15, 2013 12:52 PMIt’s nearly impossible for Tsawwassen’s Gary Cullen to take his pride and joy for a drive and not attract a crowd.The curvy streamlined design of his Czechoslovakian-made 1948 Tatra T-87 gives the car the appearance of an Art Deco spaceship.There is a tail fin jutting from the rear engine cowling, gaping louvers on either side of the vehicle designed to swallow air for the air-cooled engine, and of course, the distinctive triple headlight design.“This car was designed to go 50 per cent faster than the cars of the day,” says Cullen. “So they figured they needed 50 per cent more light.”But it wasn’t the Tatra’s silver curves that first drew Cullen to this unique automobile.The beauty of the Tatra is far more than skin deep.“I was first attracted to it because of its engineering,” Cullen says. “Growing up, all my friends were interested in muscle cars, but I was into Citroens because they were so advanced.”

Cullen’s Tatra T-87 will be one of the hundreds of classic cars entered in this year’s Ladner Quilt Walk and Car Show, this Sunday Aug. 18. This is the 10th anniversary of the event and close to 400 vehicles are expected to take part.“I’ve brought it to the car show before,” says Cullen of his Tatra T-87. “It’s always a great opportunity to talk to other car lovers.”The Tatra T-87 is notable for its many technological firsts.It was the first car to be aerodynamically designed in a wind tunnel, which improved the car’s fuel economy. Paul Jaray, who designed the large Zeppelin airships, was responsible for the Tatra’s smooth lines, while famed engineer Hans Ledwinka was responsible for the overall design.“Up until that point, cars were pretty boxy,” says Cullen. “There were cars that looked aerodynamic, but none that were properly designed [to reduce air resistance].“But it wasn’t just for looks, it was driven by the engineering.”Of course, the Tatra’s technological advancements didn’t stop at its unique bodywork.The car also featured rack-and-pinion steering, independent suspension, a 12-volt electrical system, a self-lubricating chassis, and a lightweight magnesium alloy V-8 engine mounted in the rear.The Tatra T-87 was decades ahead of its time, says Cullen, and a beautiful example of form following function.

Cullen is a bit of an innovator himself, having helped pioneer the art of 3-D holography, so it’s no wonder the Tatra’s technological advancements caught his attention.If you’ve ever seen a hologram watch, ubiquitous as they were in the 1980s, chances are they were made by Cullen’ company, Holocrafts.The success of his company has allowed Cullen to amass an impressive collection of automobiles, including a handful of classic Citroens.His current Tatra is the second 1948 T-87 he’s owned. In 1991, Cullen bought and restored his first Tatra, which now resides in the Minneapolis Institute of Art  as a piece of sculpture in the museum’s Art Deco exhibit.While the car looks unique by today’s standards, it looked absolutely alien when it was first released in the 1930s.“It’s amazing that a company had the guts to put it into production,” says Cullen. “It’s so outlandishly different from everything that came before it.”Tatra is still around today, and is the third oldest continuously operating automobile manufacturer on earth, after Daimler and Peugeot. The company built its last passenger car in 1999, and today focuses on commercial and military vehicles.

During the Second World War, the Tatra was dubbed “The Czech’s secret weapon” against the Nazis. As the story goes, many high-ranking officers were killed on winding mountain roads by the car’s ferocious oversteer resulting from the rear-engine, rear-drive configuration. However, after researching the history of the Tatra during the war, Cullen says he’s found no actual confirmed cases of that actually happening.“I think it’s a bit of a myth,” he says.The Tatra’s reputation for fishtailing is well-earned, however.“Over the years I’ve got pretty good at drifting,” says Cullen.Despite that, a few high-ranking Nazis did choose the distinctive Czech car as their personal limousine.“It was very popular with engineers, I think that’s why they were attracted to it, because it was so advanced for its time,” says Cullen.Among the Tatra’s infamous owners were airplane engineers Wilhelm Messerschmitt and Ernst Heinkel, as well as German General Erwin Rommel.Adolf Hitler proclaimed the Tatra as the car of the Autobahn, and it provided the inspiration for the Volkswagen Beetle, the most widely produced car on the planet.

But the Tatra T-87 was never a big seller. During its 15-year production run, only 3,000 were ever produced, many of them being reserved for diplomats and high-ranking government officials.“It was always a polarizing car,” says Cullen. “People either loved it or hated.”Cullen estimates there might currently be a dozen or so Tatra T-87s in North America, many of them belonging to former Czechoslovakian ambassadors.As a result, Cullen is often turned to by the Tatra community for advice, having owned T-87s for more than 20 years.“Hi Gary, I just bought a Tatra, I heard you’re the guy to talk to,” one memorable phone conversation began. It was talk show host and car buff Jay Leno calling from Hollywood, California.Leno invited Cullen and his wife Karoline down to see his massive car collection, housed at the Burbank Airport.They visited Leno’s workshop, and Cullen advised Leno’s mechanic crew on the many complexities of Tatra restoration, as replacement parts aren’t easy to come by.“He has about a half dozen guys working for him, but he gets in there too,” says Cullen. “He likes to get his hands dirty.”Cullen’s T-87 is by no means a “garage queen,” and he drives it around town regularly, even taking it on some far flung road trips.In 2000, he and another Tatra T-87 owner travelled to the Arctic Circle on the legendary unpaved Dempster Highway with their families in tow. The six-week trip took them trough B.C., Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and into Alaska.“The reactions we got varied from total disbelief to amazement,” he says.Despite getting caught in a blizzard in the middle of August north of the Arctic Circle, the Tatras made it home safe and sound, if a little dinged up.“They still hold up surprisingly well,” he says.

http://www.southdeltaleader.com/community/219819251.html

It looks like a traditional Tatra, but it is a tractor, at least according to the documents. Kopřivnická famous truck manufacturer unveiled a prototype of the new machine, which Tatra fans call  ”Tatraktor”.

Agricultural tractor trailers 6×6 Tatra Phoenix based of course on the current state of the art series Kopřivnické company.   It is basically a replacement for large tractors that pull trailers.

The vehicle has three axles, and at speeds up to 40 kilometers per hour has steerable front and rear axle (surcharge). On the road, however, works like a normal car. Will go to the field, slow down, switch on the control of both axles and begins to behave like a tractor.

Tatra supplied machinery for agriculture in the past, but the novelty is unique in that it is the first Tatra designed specifically for agricultural production.

“Its biggest advantage is that the vehicle is homologated as a tractor,” says Jiří for iDNES.cz Punch, Marketing Manager Tatra. “It meets all the benefits of a truck, as consumption and speed, and the tractor. This means that it will be able to draw customer subsidies, tank green diesel (tax savings on the purchase of diesel – ed. Red.) And does not have a driver’s license on a truck sufficient permissions on the tractor, “he explains.

The Kopřivnice automaker modified off-road truck for Phoenix Lesonice peasant society, which now only three prototypes tested.

The debut Tatraktor was introduced in Czech Budejovice in the exhibition Bread Basket 2013 to the end of August.

Phoenix uses traditional unique TATRA concept with central tube, protecting all powertrain components, along with independent air-suspended swinging half-axles. This makes the terrain Tatra trucks valued as tools for working in extreme conditions, such as mining or construction.

Tatra used for Phoenix the American liquid-cooled six-cylinder PACCAR MX engine with a capacity of 12.9 liters, which comes in three versions: 265 kW, 300 kW and 340 kW. The basic version is 16stupňovou with manual gearbox ZF, surcharge is 16stupňová automatic gearbox ZF AS-Tronic or Allison 6-speed automatic.  All the variants gear can be equipped with an integrated retarder.

The wheelbase between the front and first rear axle is 3060 millimeters, between the first and second rear 1450 mm. In length (the back light) vehicle measures 6,965 mm and the height of the cab roof is 3250 mm. Operating weight is 11,150 kg and a maximum speed of 65 km / h Fuel is pumped into two 220litrových tanks.

Tatraktor’s  rear height adjustable tractor hitch and at the same time a tractor fifth wheel. The front portion is adapted for mounting heavy implements. The vehicle can get the front and rear hydraulic actuator outputs.

Agricultural tractor standing on the wide low-pressure tires that are friendly to the soil.

http://auto.idnes.cz/tatra-phoenix-traktor-06o-/ak_aktual.aspx?c=A130903_142012_ak_aktual_fdv