Watch video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Q8qVBaSTpmQ
by Petrolicious Productions / 8 Apr 2014
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Rolling through the streets of Los Angeles in his 1941 Tatra T87, Mr. Paul Greenstein might as well be invisible. Other drivers speed past his Czech oddity without a second glance, seemingly oblivious to the car’s dorsal fin and triple headlights. But as Paul swings the Tatra into a parking space in front of a favorite local bistro, it’s as if he has brought the black teardrop to a stop in the middle of a Hollywood spotlight that immediately attracts the attention of every passerby. Here come the second glances, the puzzled questions.
“What in the world is that?”
“Is that a…a Citroen? A Volkswagen? An, uh….I mean, what is it?”
That question–“What the hell is that?”–is one that visitors to Paul’s world frequently find themselves asking. His East Los Angeles shop is a celebration of all things old, vintage, and, by Paul’s own admission, weird: a Skoda Felicia convertible awaiting restoration, a half dozen Seeburg and Wurlitzer jukeboxes, and even, amidst a congregation of Indian and BMW motorcycles, a vintage coin-operated peep show. Somewhere in here, Paul finds enough space to make neon signs for a living.
A short drive away is Paul’s house, a hilltop Victorian that Paul still locks up with the original skeleton key and that, not surprisingly, struggles to contain more of Paul’s curios. This is where he keeps the antique board games, the assorted Tatra memorabilia, even a pre-World War I Czech military uniform. With the jukeboxes rocking the shop, Paul relies on an Edison cylinder phonograph for music at home. Or, if he’s feeling lively, he can always pull from his own experience as the onetime leader of a local Western Swing band and belt out a Spade Cooley tune on his own.
Paul is proof that what starts as a passion for vintage cars seldom stops at vintage cars. Automobiles, after all, are a collection of many disciplines and endeavors (metallurgy, communications, upholstery, mechanics, design and more) and the desire to enjoy, drive, fix, and learn about them tends to lead a person down a rabbit hole of fascination with bygone eras. Before knowing it, 78rpm records, 1920s furniture, and, classic cars have replaced their modern-day equivalents.
Oh, and there is stream of people scratching their head, asking, “What the hell is that?”
Editor’s note: Petrolicious has featured Tatras before and as the title alludes, this company and its founder had a tremendous impact on automotive history in general, think Volkswagen and Porsche. If you’d like to know more, click here.
Drive Tastefully®
(video sent by Paul Greenstein)
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9.4.2014
INSTAFOREX LOPRAIS TEAM presents
LOPRAIS BUGGYRA DAKAR FORCES
End of to-date hegemony of Kamaz make and defeat of the Dutch trucker DeRoy (Iveco)? Why not! This is exactly the brave goal of the newly established Loprais Buggyra Dakar Forces team.
Marriage of Convenience
The marriage of convenience just entered into, or the Dakar coalition, is based on partnership of three long-term most successful Czech pilots of the Dakar Rally, Aleš Loprais, Martin Kolomý and Jaroslav Valtr. This trio of elite pilots will fully rely on all developmental and technological capacities of the Tatra Buggyra Team and the Loprais Instaforex Team. “We have agreed all substantial, now we only discuss technical details, such as manufacturing capacities,“ confirmed the Buggyra team manager Jan Kalivoda. But as he subsequently added, both teams will retain their identity and keep their liabilities towards their current partners. “It is also in their interest that our new joint project manages as well as it can.“
Although Aleš Loprais and Martin Kolomý controlled several Dakar stages in the past, their ambitions are higher. “Man must always go forward. We all know that if we want to compete with makes like Kamaz and Iveco, we must follow in Russian footsteps, that is to be able to assess the situation and define priorities. I would not even be against the term team strategy,“ précised Martin Kolomý. “Although the team consists of individuals that want to win, we are absolutely clear in that in certain parts of races individual ambition may be subjected to team interests. The Russians show this every year. to achieve overall success it is necessary to put together a strong team of three equally good pilots. A team mate driving in the critical moment two hours behind you is no help,“ added Jaroslav Valtr to Martin ´s explanation.
In connection with the new project Aleš Loprais speaks about the team of three thousand horses from the Gyrtech stable that will drive the Tatra specials to the winners´ podium. And ideally to the overall triumph, for, as he says, the second in the finish is the first loser. “We will use a unified design, logistic and service background during the competition. We have agreed on testing with the aim of unification of selected components and the crews will undergo joint physical preparation.“
This year´s most successful Czech pilot has undergone initial testing of the Gyrtech engine, after which he announced start of the Dakar mission. “I must say I have not yet experienced a stronger engine drive. I was mainly surprised by the enormous torque in low speeds,“ commented Aleš on the performance of the new aggregate. His opinion is also shared by Robin Dolejš. “The technological cooperation has started in the right direction from the very beginning. We work on further particulars, which we do not wish to specify in detail yet, for obvious reasons. Anyway, there is enough time to the Silk Way Rally.“
Two Tatra trucks of the Bonver Dakar Project team will take part in testing in the Baja Drawsko race from 5 to 6 April 2014. The racing chief of the team Tomáš Vrátný will drive the bonneted special Tatra Jamal. He will be navigated by the Slovak experienced navigator Jaroslav Miškolci and the onboard mechanic will be Radim Kaplánek. He already knows the special from the Dakar Rally 2014. Together with the Kazakh crew, Arthur Ardavichus and Alexei Nikizhev, he brought it to the finish of the legendary desert competition in fourteenth place. The Polish-Czech crew of Robert Jan Szustkowski, Jaroslav Kazberuk and Filip Škrobánek will participate in the cab-over-engine truck Tatra 815, which they also drove in the Rallye Dakar 2014.
Racing team boss accelerated considerably, but the second team crew discussed the technical problems
Rallye Baja Drawsko today continued the three speed tests. You have to Bonver Dakar Rally Team Project different course.
While Thomas Porter, his navigator Jaroslav Miškolci a flight engineer Radim Kaplánek speed up and improve your ranking in the overall ranking, the second team Tatra had technical problems but the crew was able to remove.
Across the Polish military area and still rumbles two White Mountains, which now completed almost 250 km. “I must commend the organizers, the track was amazing. Alternated with technical passages with sand. It was such a small Polish “Dakárek ‘,” said Thomas Porter. “Excellent is that the same went three rounds and we had the opportunity to test Jamalku and test its properties. Proof that you Jamalku getting used to is the fact that we leave each lap faster. Among the trucks we were again first, but mainly we moved out of the twenty-first overall position on the beautiful sixth place.
Total 86 crews competed, including motorbikes and quads. Today we are in the overall assessment of the wheels were twice sixth and one fifth, ’said Tom Porter, who gradually getting used to the driving characteristics of a cabin special Tatra Jamal and he adapted his riding style.
Unlike team boss, for whom this was the premiere of this type of truck, the Polish-Czech crew of Robert Jan Szustkowski, Jaroslav Kazberuk and Filip Škrobánek presented with trambus Tatra 815 “Unfortunately, the boys had technical problems. Zavzdušňoval they supply fuel and had to stop. The track therefore set our technical track which gave the car to the right. I have to thank Philip Škrobánkovi, who as a flight engineer of the crew had worked well and contributed to the fact that boys are continuing. “
Racing team boss accelerated considerably, but the second team crew discussed the technical problems
Rallye Baja Drawsko today continued the three speed tests. You have to Bonver Dakar Rally Team Project different course.
While Thomas Porter, his navigator Jaroslav Miškolci a flight engineer Radim Kaplánek speed up and improve your ranking in the overall ranking, the second team Tatra had technical problems but the crew was able to remove.
Across the Polish military area and still rumbles two White Mountains, which now completed almost 250 km. “I must commend the organizers, the track was amazing. Alternated with technical passages with sand. It was such a small Polish “Dakárek ‘,” said Thomas Porter. “Excellent is that the same went three rounds and we had the opportunity to test Jamalku and test its properties. Proof that you Jamalku getting used to is the fact that we leave each lap faster. Among the trucks we were again first, but mainly we moved out of the twenty-first overall position on the beautiful sixth place.
Total 86 crews competed, including motorbikes and quads. Today we are in the overall assessment of the wheels were twice sixth and one fifth, ’said Tom Porter, who gradually getting used to the driving characteristics of a cabin special Tatra Jamal and he adapted his riding style.
Unlike team boss, for whom this was the premiere of this type of truck, the Polish-Czech crew of Robert Jan Szustkowski, Jaroslav Kazberuk and Filip Škrobánek presented with trambus Tatra 815 “Unfortunately, the boys had technical problems. Zavzdušňoval they supply fuel and had to stop. The track therefore set our technical track which gave the car to the right. I have to thank Philip Škrobánkovi, who as a flight engineer of the crew had worked well and contributed to the fact that boys are continuing. “
Los Angeles T 87 owners Dydia DeLyser and Paul Greenstein will cross the Atlantic for this year’s TFI Noordwijkerhout Rally. Dydia has Dutch roots and some family in NL still and speaks some Dutch. Regrettably, they will not take their magnificent T 87 with them. Instead, they will drive another T 87 at the Dutch TFI meeting at the end of May. Rallye info: http://www.tatraclub.at/index.php?lang=en
The Jalopnik T 87 article: http://jalopnik.com/1941-tatra-t87-the-jalopnik-classic-review-1557341677
The history of TATRA 54
The new history of Tatra 54 from Ostrava is written since 1997. As in last year tore through central Europe floods, we wrote a short report to Austria Mr. Buchta of austroclassic.com so that we could all told affected – head up, everything will be good again !
Proud owner of the Tatras ” Verma ” itself was also affected by the floods , if it happened in the northern Czech Republic in Ostrava in 1997. Fortunately, he has not someone do not lose the roof over your head , nor life, near his surroundings. But it was TATRA 54 of 1931 , which was parked in the garage at the flooded river Odra , and which was completely destroyed by the floods .
As it is written above , lovers of veterans and old things do not hang your head . It’s a cruel thing if the item your family jewel will destroy , but man is a fighter by nature and is able to fight with such a fate . We know from personal experience – as Verma with his father lit the whole Tatra , cleaned, polished, as you have produced new parts or entire sections , the parts that were either destroyed or washed away. We could write the veterans still many pages about a total renovation , such as Tatra was gradually dismantled to screw , as the shack was prepared as everything had to fit , prepare for the paint and how it was painted, as the machine raised back to life but it would not be so interesting and after few lines you would get bored . Sometimes the problems were bigger , sometimes everything went so smoothly and sometimes you had to rewrite some parts even three times before the result was satisfactory. After 14 years my friend came almost to a complete objectives and the renewed Tatra was almost ready to go on the road.
Unfortunately, the thieves came and the refurbished Tatra stolen. That was in 2011 and we have for the first time almost all veteran clubs in Europe addressed , for the case that maybe somewhere our veteran appears. Fortunately, the police found after a short time in Ostrava Tatra again, and we have recalled alarm for which we have called immediately after the loss between friends , acquaintances and strangers and in the media.
The whole last year and already this season is also marked by the travel with this old machine , we regularly take on competitions elegance and orientation rally part . It pleased the whole family and especially my friend after all the years of hard work in the garage feel thoroughly enjoys .
Now we are happy to introduce a little Tatra 54 . Developmentally comes from the Tatra 11 , which was designed in 1923 by Hans Ledwinka . It is an air-cooled four-cylinder boxer that is on the front axle and rear drive capacity 1679 cm3 Bore 75×95 mm, with electromagnetic ignition Scintilla and 12 V vehicle electrical systems . Fuel flows by gravity into the carburetor Zenith 30U mounted above the engine with cylinder connected oblique sucking , wire rope drum brakes with shoes on the front and rear axles , worm control. Solid front axle with leaf spring suspension and rear axle that has two swinging half-axles , the transfer of the 4-speed transmission with dry disk clutch. Body type is two-door , four seat with solid roof made of artificial leather . Tatra was made in 1931 and since 1938 has been owned by our family. She was rescued from the Second World War and the Communist bureaucracy and survived the great flood in 1997 and theft in 2011.
We would like to wish all of you bring their bikes or cars back to its former glory . Do not be afraid of the time , investment and effort that you need to insert into the machine , you overcame the problems that arise in the restructuring . We wish you all understood the family when you turn to the repair of their machines all your free time .
Nataša a Jiří Verma from Ostrava
Program & invitation Noordwijkerhout: http://www.tatraclub.at/index.php?lang=de German: http://www.tatraclub.at/index.php?lang=en
The history of TATRA 54
The new history of Tatra 54 from Ostrava is written since 1997. As in last year tore through central Europe floods, we wrote a short report to Austria Mr. Buchta of austroclassic.com so that we could all told affected – head up, everything will be good again !
Proud owner of the Tatras ” Verma ” itself was also affected by the floods , if it happened in the northern Czech Republic in Ostrava in 1997. Fortunately, he has not someone do not lose the roof over your head , nor life, near his surroundings. But it was TATRA 54 of 1931 , which was parked in the garage at the flooded river Odra , and which was completely destroyed by the floods .
As it is written above , lovers of veterans and old things do not hang your head . It’s a cruel thing if the item your family jewel will destroy , but man is a fighter by nature and is able to fight with such a fate . We know from personal experience – as Verma with his father lit the whole Tatra , cleaned, polished, as you have produced new parts or entire sections , the parts that were either destroyed or washed away. We could write the veterans still many pages about a total renovation , such as Tatra was gradually dismantled to screw , as the shack was prepared as everything had to fit , prepare for the paint and how it was painted, as the machine raised back to life but it would not be so interesting and after few lines you would get bored . Sometimes the problems were bigger , sometimes everything went so smoothly and sometimes you had to rewrite some parts even three times before the result was satisfactory. After 14 years my friend came almost to a complete objectives and the renewed Tatra was almost ready to go on the road.
Unfortunately, the thieves came and the refurbished Tatra stolen. That was in 2011 and we have for the first time almost all veteran clubs in Europe addressed , for the case that maybe somewhere our veteran appears. Fortunately, the police found after a short time in Ostrava Tatra again, and we have recalled alarm for which we have called immediately after the loss between friends , acquaintances and strangers and in the media.
The whole last year and already this season is also marked by the travel with this old machine , we regularly take on competitions elegance and orientation rally part . It pleased the whole family and especially my friend after all the years of hard work in the garage feel thoroughly enjoys .
Now we are happy to introduce a little Tatra 54 . Developmentally comes from the Tatra 11 , which was designed in 1923 by Hans Ledwinka . It is an air-cooled four-cylinder boxer that is on the front axle and rear drive capacity 1679 cm3 Bore 75×95 mm, with electromagnetic ignition Scintilla and 12 V vehicle electrical systems . Fuel flows by gravity into the carburetor Zenith 30U mounted above the engine with cylinder connected oblique sucking , wire rope drum brakes with shoes on the front and rear axles , worm control. Solid front axle with leaf spring suspension and rear axle that has two swinging half-axles , the transfer of the 4-speed transmission with dry disk clutch. Body type is Zweitürich , four sit with solid roof made of artificial leather . Tatra was made in 1931 and since 1938 has been owned by our family. She was rescued from the Second World War and the Communist bureaucracy and survived the great flood in 1997 and theft in 2011.
We would like to wish all of you bring their bikes or cars back to its former glory . Do not be afraid of the time , investment and effort that you need to insert into the machine , you overcame the problems that arise in the restructuring . We wish you all understood the family when you turn to the repair of their machines all your free time .
Nataša a Jiří Verma from Ostrava
Well known navigator Serge Bruynkens has left the Loprais Team. He did not go on well with Ales Loprais and the two became involved in a competence struggle in January’s Dakar. Bruynkens will now team up with Hans Stacey of the De Rooy Team. Vehicle will be a nosed Iveco Powerstar, similar to Gerard de Rooy’s one.
ČTK |
28 MARCH 2014
Prague, March 27 (CTK) – Ronald Adams, former U.S. director of the Czech-based Tatra lorry marker, wants Prague to pay him five million crowns in compensation for the prosecution he faced over suspected bribery, which he says adversely affected his personal and professional reputation, Bison& Rose agency told CTK yesterday.
Bison & Rose, which represents Adams, said he wants to give the compensation sum to non-profit organisations that fight corruption in the state administration.
Adams, Tatra’s former director general and head of the board of directors, was charged with bribe giving in August 2012.
A court definitively acquitted him last year.
The police suspected Adams of offering a bribe to the then Czech deputy defence minister Martin Bartak in 2009 in exchange for the ministry ordering a further supply of Tatra products to the Czech military.
In Bison & Rose’s press statement yesterday, Adams points to the court having 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 unrightful, Adams adds.
He says the indictment and prosecution leant exclusively on untrustworthy testimonies of people who face criminal prosecution themselves.
His detention, prosecution and trial were based on a purely expedient criminal complaint, Adams said.
It was Bartak who accused Adams of corruption.
Adams is a witness in the case of the state purchase of Tatra lorries for the Czech military, in which Bartak and Czech lobbyist and arms dealer Michal Smrz face attempted fraud charges.
Earlier this year, Adams told the court that, Smrz offered him help in promoting the order in exchange for 100 million crowns in 2008.
Smrz promised to arrange a meeting of Adams and the then Czech prime minister Mirek Topolanek, Adams said.
($1=19.900 crowns)
Copyright 2014 by the Czech News Agency (ČTK). All rights reserved.
Copying, dissemination or other publication of this article or parts thereof without the prior written consent of ČTK is expressly forbidden. The Prague Daily Monitor and Monitor CE are not responsible for its content.
In Hall 9.1 of this year’s Techno Classica, the TFI shows the T 87 of club president Ulli Platzek. As always, the stand is a meeting point for Tatra fans.
The TFI’s T 87 wasn’t the only T 87 shown at Essen. Thiesen http://www.thiesen-kg.de/offered an all-white Ecorra restored T 87 at E 235.000,–
Update: http://www.motor-klassik.de/bilder/techno-classica-2014-messerundgang-dirk-johae-panini-patina-und-dicke-pellen-8223857.html?fotoshow_item=11
Of course, Essen showed much and much more. Mercedes Benz for instance showed all their GP cars in a wonderfull display.
