Ales Loprais recently tested his newest truck. Based on both his existing T 815 truck and the Jamal truck, the new truck has the advantage of a better weight distribution and a less vurnerable driving position for its crew.

Watch the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-qcM7HcwMs&feature=channel_video_title

Set on the tranquil lawn of Goodwood House, far from the throng of racing engines, the ‘Style et Luxe’ is a cherished bastion of artistry and good taste. The competition comprised around 50 cars in several classes representing the history of motoring.

This year’s Cartier Style et Luxe featured seven classes with standouts including Sir Norman Foster’s recreation of Buckminster Fuller’s amazing 1934 Dymaxion, which wowed the crowds in the Extreme Lines – Pre-War Streamlined Specials class.

Also vying for attention in the streamlining genre was a 1936 Lincoln Zephyr V12 Sedan and Tom Rollason’s 1939 Aston Martin Atom but it was left to Kees Smit’s magnificent 1939 Tatra T87 to take home the silver.

While most of the panel may know little about cars, the artist’s intrinsic understanding of proportion, detail, texture and finish invoke some intriguing and often rather alternative opinions, and the judges bring a wide range of sympathies to the panel.

Originally Kees Smit was invited with his T77a, but its engine let him down.  After consulting the organisation, he took his 1939 T87 to Goodwood. The car was driven from Amsterdam on its own power and took the laurels. Apart from its streamlined shape, the jury showed interest in the T87’s rear engine, the central hinges servicing front and rear doors and the chrome tubed, adjustable front seats.

Preview:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/goodwood-festival-of-speed/8565916/Goodwood-Festival-of-Speed-2011-Cartier-Style-et-Luxe.html

The organizing team of the July 9-16 Silk Way Rally has released the starting list of the truck category consisting of 36 crews, which is the highest number in the rally’s history, including the two crews of InstaForex Loprais Team with Ales Loprais and Tomas Vratny (Bonver Dakar Team).

Already the first look at the starting list makes the Dakar fan happy, though even much more stunning competition is heading towards the Dakar 2012 in South America. One famous name has left the starting grids – Vladimir Chagin quit his racing career and will play a different role within the Kamaz team. Another big name has joined the rally – Hans Stacey returns. The winner of Dakar 2007 and Transorientale with Central Europe Rally will drive an Iveco special for Team de Rooy.

The local “sbornaya kommanda” of the Kamaz Team fields as many as seven (!) crews and places emphasis on the coming young generation of drivers after Chagin’s departure. Team’s No. 1 is last year’s winner, Eduard Nikolaev starting with the lowest number 300. Nikolaev also receives Chagin’s navigator, Sergey Savostin, who is full of experience after 15 years of racing at the top. Another Russian crew is lead by the experienced Firdaus Kabirov and the young Ayrat Mardeev whose father, Ilgizar, will be the team’s rapid assistance. The Cummins-powered Kamaz in Astana colors will be driven by Artur Ardavichus. For the Russians, Silk Way Rally is a great opportunity to test new crew members before actually sending them to the big Dakar. The Dutch squad is numerous this year. Team de Rooy sends two Iveco trucks driven by Hans Stacey and the Frenchman, Joseph Adua. Ginaf Rally Power starts in Russia for the first time and will field two trucks with Wuf and Edwin Van Ginkel. Team Veka MAN fields two trucks, with Peter Versluis and Pascal de Baar, with the support of a very fast Man truck of Toni Maurer Motorsports driven by the experienced Franz Echter.

From Hollnad, there will also be Johan Elfrink in his fast Mercedes Axor. Also the Czech participation is large – 4 Tatra trucks and 2 Liaz make the highest number of Czech trucks in the rally’s history. Ales Loprais will drive under the prestige starting number of 301, Tomas Vratny with 319. Ales Loprais will also introduce a new racing special. There will also be the Belarussian MAZ factory team and the fast Hungarian, Zoltan Kovacs.

(source: www.loprais.cz ; http://www.marathonrally.com/news/silk_way_rally_starting_list_of_the_trucks_offers_a_very_hard_competition_2011.18552.0.html)

See also:

http://loprais.com/loprais-eng/index.php?obsah=zobraz&id_clanku=479

http://loprais.com/loprais-eng/index.php?obsah=zobraz&id_clanku=478

Ivan Margolius’s superbly restored1949 Tatra T600 Tatraplan won the Oddballs: Unique Designs & Concepts with 3 Wheels or More class.

http://www.classicandsportscar.com/news/classic-car-events/mussolini-alfa-wins-salon-priv%C3%A9

http://www.salonprivelondon.com/concours/2011winners.asp

http://autoliefhebbers.be/tatra_expo.html

Tatra fire trucks gathered in Werneuchen, Germany. We have the video for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdXVUaHbF0s

http://www.thueringer-allgemeine.de/startseite/detail/-/specific/Muehlhausen-ist-fuer-drei-Tage-Tatra-Stadt-1803294051

http://muehlhausen.tlz.de/web/muehlhausen/startseite/detail/-/specific/Tatra-Treffen-auf-dem-Muehlhaeuser-Untermarkt-1287987479

http://www.classicandsportscar.com/news/general-classic-car-news/group-c-porsches-steal-revamped-salon-priv%C3%A9

Dutchman Laurens Kleynen, the man that had an engine fire in his beautifully restored narrow mask 1967 T2-603, causing him to take it to a scrap-yard, restored a Skoda and a Pobieda but intimicy knew he was restoring a T57a as well.  The Tatra veteran and former garage owner has had his coming out recently. Can a T 57a shine more than this one?

In the forthcoming weeks, Tatra will be represented at prestiguous classic car events in the UK.  Ivan Margolius’ Tatraplan is entered at  the very interesting http://www.salonprivelondon.com/concours/2011entrants.asp while Kees Smit’s T87 will be part of a streamlined thirties car section of the Cartier Style & Luxe Concours at the Festival of Speed. http://www.goodwood.co.uk/festival-of-speed/welcome.aspx

The first Salon Privé Concours d’Élégance took place in 2006 and the event soon established itself as the premier home-grown competition of its type, thanks partly to it being an integral part of a three-day automotive extravaganza in a champagne garden-party setting.

This year’s event, in association with Chubb Insurance, has attracted some stunning entries across eight classes, which will be arranged precisely on the lawns of Syon Park in London.

There is an outstanding entry for the Ferrari 250 class. An exceptional example is a 1954 250 Europa; one of only seven, it was first owned by film producer Clarence Brown. Another is a 250 Le Mans, rumoured to be the most valuable car present.

An interesting class, listed as Oddballs, features the likes of Fiat’s first MPV, the Multipla. In a footprint just 50cm longer than the original Mini, the Multipla can fit up to six people. Other Oddballs include a 1949 Tatra T600. Many entrants have intriguing backgrounds such as the 1939 Alfa Romeo 2500 Berlinetta, known as Mussolini’s Alfa, once owned by his mistress, Claretta Petacci. Sponsor Chubb Insurance will be showing an Aston Martin Atom, Porsche Speedster and a 1957 Ferrari 250 TR, too.

There is also an array of bikes from the Isle of Man TT races and machines from “the Steve McQueen era” on the concours lawn.

The Festival of Speed is the largest motoring garden party in the world – a unique summer weekend that brings together an impossibly heady mix of cars, stars and motor sport ‘royalty’ to create the largest car culture event in the world. Held in the immaculate grounds of Goodwood House, this annual hill-climb event is a true celebration of motor sport and all things automotive. From current Formula 1 racers and 200mph supercars to steam-powered carriages of the 19^th Century, and from 3000bhp top fuel dragsters to classic rally cars, the Festival of Speed attracts the heroic and the evocative from every era in an exuberant display of style, sound, smell and colour.

The Festival pays homage to the most significant and salient cars in the history of international motor sport, with entry by personal invitation from Lord March.

All cars and motorcycles are painstakingly selected to reflect the event’s major theme of the year, and to ensure their authenticity and provenance, all competing vehicles are presented in their original condition and livery.

Cartier Concours d’Élégance:  http://www.goodwood.co.uk/festival-of-speed/vehicle-displays/cartier-style-et-luxe.aspx