Rumors of upcoming mid-engined Corvettes are one of those things that never seem to go away, like that funny rash on your thigh or that process server who just can’t seem to take a hint. Strangely, there was another alternate Corvette layout that never seems to resurface: the rear-engined ‘Vette. Yet there actually was one.

http://jalopnik.com/forget-the-mid-engined-corvette-there-was-once-a-rear-1635589421

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Czech Deputy Foreign Minister Martin Tlapa is to arrive in the Iranian capital of Tehran on Saturday to hold economic talks with Iranian officials.

Tlapa is  heading a trade delegation comprising representatives of 20 Czech companies.

The mission’s visit to Iran, which has been organized by the Czech Chamber of Commerce, will last until September 17.  It is aimed at establishing trade contacts with the Iranian market, Prague Post reported.

Earlier on September 3, Tlapa in a meeting with Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for American and European Affairs Majid Takht Ravanchi had announced that a delegation of 20 companies and business people would head to Tehran on September 13 in an attempt to improve bilateral economic ties.

Representatives from auto manufacturers such as Skoda Auto, Tatra, Skoda Transportation as well as textile manufacturers will be in the business delegation, said the Czech official.

During the meeting, the Iranian deputy foreign minister also said economic relations with the Czech Republic is crucially important for the Islamic Republic.

http://www.tasnimnews.com/English/Home/Single/496885

ZUZANA 2 is an advanced wheeled 155mm self propelled gun howitzer developed by KONŠTRUKTA-Defence and produced by ZTS – ŠPECIÁL primarily for the Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic.

The artillery system is a new version of the 155mm / 45 calibre ZUZANA self propelled howitzer which entered into service with the Slovak Army in 1998. ZUZANA 2 is capable of conducting multiple round simultaneous impact (MRSI) operations.

The howitzer was demonstrated at the International Exhibition of Defence and Security Technologies (IDET) 2011 held in Brno, Czech Republic and at the International Defence Exhibition (IDEB) 2014 in Bratislava, Slovakia.

More: http://www.army-technology.com/projects/zuzana-2-155mm-self-propelled-gun-howitzer/

http://enricoberbig.de/die-dessauer-rennwoche/

http://jingzhou.de/fotos/events/dessauer-rennwoche-der-oldtimer/

Last weekend, 20, mostly streamlined  classics and Hanomags, classics accompanied the Hanomag Rekordwagen in its return to the German Autobahn A9 near Dessau, a spot where it achieved record 75 years ago.

http://www.wochenspiegel-web.de/wisl_s-cms/_wochenspiegel/7378/Fotogalerie/42608/Sport__und_Rennwagenwoche_Dessau.html

Background info: http://www.tatraworld.nl/2014/08/23/historic-racing-cars-and-t-87-to-dessauer-race-weekend/

On 6–7 October 1989 the national celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the East German state took place with Soviet Union preseident MichaelGorbachev in attendance. During the event, several hundred members of the Free German Youth began chanting,“Gorby, help us! Gorby, save us!”.^[53] In a private conversation between the two leaders Honecker praised the success of the nation, but Gorbachev knew that, in reality, it faced bankruptcy; East Germany had already accepted billions of dollars in loans from West Germany during the decade as it sought to stabilise its economy. Attempting to make Honecker accept a need for reforms, Gorbachev warned “life punishes those who come too late”, yet Honecker maintained that “we will solve our problems ourselves with socialist means”. Protests outside the reception at the Palace of the Republic led to hundreds of arrests.

As the reform movement spread throughout Central and Eastern Europe, mass demonstrations against the East German government erupted, most prominently in Leipzig—the first of several demonstrations which took place on Monday night across the country. In response, an elite paratroop unit was dispatched to Leipzig—almost certainly on Honecker’s orders, since he was commander-in-chief of the army. A bloodbath was only averted when local party officials themselves ordered the troops to pull back. In the following week, Honecker faced a torrent of criticism. This gave his Politburo comrades the impulse they needed to replace him.

Bonhams’ annual ‘Preserving the Automobile’ auction always features a number of museum-worthy oddities, and this year’s sale includes a fine example of one of history’s most unconventional production cars.

At the time of its launch, the Tatra T87 was unlike anything else, real or imagined, and even today its unique mechanicals and shape inspire ‘oooh!’s and ‘huh?’s in about equal numbers. The streamlined body with shark fin spine might look like something from one of those hilariously inaccurate 1950s illustrations of The Future, but the T87 dates back to 1936, though you’d never know it to drive it; technically as well as aesthetically, it was ahead of its time.

With its proprietary four-speed transmission and air-cooled V8, the T87 will do 100mph on the motorway and 20 miles to the gallon at 60mph. The steering is light, the cabin comfortable and the ride good. No wonder German military officers were so fond of it. For the sake of balance, however, (no pun intended) we should point out that the T87 is a touch tail-heavy… Writer Gordon Wilkins noted that ‘it produces in the driver the uneasy exhilaration which may be got from shampooing a lion’. Just something to bear in mind before you drop $ 90,000-110,000 on this lovely, sympathetically refurbished 1948 car.

For more information on the sale (6 October) and a full list of consignments, click here.

http://www.classicandperformancecar.com/news/marketnews/293317/preview_bonhams_in_philadelphia.html

See Dutch, British, Germans and Czechs struggle with their Tatras

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFTqCcrUx_4&feature=youtu.be

Ronald Adams, former U.S. director of the Czech-based Tatra lorry marker, will receive 120,000 Kč in compensation for the prosecution he faced over suspected bribery from the Czech state, Justice Ministry spokeswoman Kateřina Hrochová told the Czech News Agency today.

Adams demanded 5 million Kč in compensation for the prosecution, which he said adversely affected his personal and professional reputation.

He previously said he would give the compensation sum to nonprofit organizations that fight corruption in the state administration.

Adams may turn to a court if he wants to claim the rest of the sum from the Justice Ministry.

Adams was charged with bribery in August 2012. A court definitively acquitted him last year. The police suspected Adams of offering a bribe to the Czech Republic’s then–Deputy Defense Minister Martin Barták in 2009 in exchange for the ministry ordering a further supply of Tatra products to the Czech military.

Ronald Adams, former U.S. director of the Czech-based Tatra lorry marker, will receive 120,000 Kč in compensation for the prosecution he faced over suspected bribery from the Czech state, Justice Ministry spokeswoman Kateřina Hrochová told the Czech News Agency today.

Adams demanded 5 million Kč in compensation for the prosecution, which he said adversely affected his personal and professional reputation.

He previously said he would give the compensation sum to nonprofit organizations that fight corruption in the state administration.

Adams may turn to a court if he wants to claim the rest of the sum from the Justice Ministry.

Adams was charged with bribery in August 2012. A court definitively acquitted him last year. The police suspected Adams of offering a bribe to the Czech Republic’s then–Deputy Defense Minister Martin Barták in 2009 in exchange for the ministry ordering a further supply of Tatra products to the Czech military.

According to Adams, the court clearly said neither the police nor the state attorney could exactly define what crime he committed and how he did it, and that the state attorney’s office should not have filed an action against him.

As a result, all harassment and restrictions to which he was exposed during the investigation, detention and the court proceedings were unnecessary and unlawful, Adams said.

He said the indictment and prosecution relied exclusively on untrustworthy testimonies of people who face criminal prosecution themselves. His detention, prosecution and trial were based on a purely expedient criminal complaint, he added.

Read more: http://www.praguepost.com/czech-news/41759-friday-news-briefing-sept-26-2014#ixzz3Ehwi5mCL

http://www.tflcar.com/2014/09/1968-tatra-603-the-oid-girl-goes-up-for-sale/

Fourteen Tatras (T12, T 57a, T 87, T 600, T 603, T 613) gathered in Emmeloord this weekend for their three day rally. Other Tatra enhusiasts took their NSU Ro 80 and Jaguar MKII with them! Two days of the rally shwn on two pages full of photos.

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=52A884B5A1274D8C%2123958

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=52a884b5a1274d8c&id=52A884B5A1274D8C%2124165

(photos by Bert Barents)