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• Auction House:
  Theodore Bruce
• Sale Name:
  Classic Cars Auction
• Sale Date:
  26 Oct 2013 ~ 6.30pm
• Lot #:
  106
• Lot Description:
  1952 Tatra Tatraplan T600
• Notes:
  Tatra motor cars had a humble beginning in the town of Nesseldorf, now in Czechoslovakia. It was there that "Igna Schustala and Co." became famous for the production of luxury cabs, coaches and carriages, before the advent of the motor car. In 1897 the first automobile was built by the company, although not yet called a Tatra. It was powered by a Benz 2 cylinder, 2750 cc engine, which produced 5 hp @ 60 rpm. Around the turn of the century cars from the Nesseldorf factory took part in the many car races that were a feature of the time and a variety of engines were fitted. After World War I, when the new nation of Czechoslovakia was born, the Tatra automobile came into being. The name Tatra came from the mountain range of the same name in Czechoslovakia. A truck was the first vehicle produced under the new name in 1919 and in 1923 a new and revolutionary 12 hp air-cooled two cylinder motor was used to power the TII model motor car. The company went from strength to strength and became in due course known as a producer of large expensive luxury limousines, with up to 6 litre, 12 cylinder engines fitted. Famous owners of Tatras included the Czechoslovakian President, T.G. Masaryk as well as Adolph Hitler (before his rise to Chancellor) and Josef Stalin. Meanwhile the air-cooled motor continued to be developed by the Tatra engineers and it was eventually fitted in the rear of their automobiles. The figure behind the development at Tatra was a brilliant engineer, Hans Ledwinka, of whom a close acquaintance, Ferdinand Porsche once said "He is the ultimate master artist of all engines". Ledwinka's influence also extended to other unconventional makes in Europe, including Skoda and Aero. The famous rear mounted air-cooled engine pioneered by Tatra in the early 1930's was in fact later copied by Ferdinand Porsche for his Volkswagen, a fact recognised by Volkswagen which in the late 1960's is understood to have made a very substantial out-of-court cash settlement to Tatra. In 1934 Tatra released its first aerodynamic streamlined model, the T77, featuring a 3 litre 8 cylinder V8 fitted in the rear of a body that sported a "dorsal fin" like appendage from half-way down to the end of the sloping roof. It was a feature which continued in principle for many years to come. Later models included the T87 of 1937 and the smaller T97, which was also released in 1937. The T97 was Ledwinka's last design, as the Germans invaded Czechoslovakia on the 10th of October, 1938 occupying the Tatra works. During the war, Tatra produced military vehicles for the Germans and when the Russians pushed the Germans out, Ledwinka was imprisoned for "crimes against the people". Ledwinka remained in prison for six years, during which time his protege Dr Julius MacKente, an air-cooling expert, steered Tatra into a new era. On his release, Ledwinka was offered control of Tatra again, but refused, and was expelled. He became a celebrity again in engineering circles in Munich, where with his son Erich, he undertook work for Steyr-Daimler-Puch. On March 2nd, 1967 he died, aged 89. The superb aerodynamic Tatra car offered here is a T-600 Tatraplan model produced in 1952 and features a 4 cylinder horizontally opposed air-cooled over head valve 2 litre engine. The engine which is mounted in the rear is capable of 52 bhp @ 4,000 rpm. It was previously owned by Mr George Stehleg, of Brighton, Victoria, who also owned a later T-608 model of 1963. It was fully restored in 1982 by Mr Stehleg, and is one of the very few Tatras in Australia. Prior to this the vehicle's history is not known, but it is understood it was the Melbourne Motor Show Car many years ago. It was purchased through a Victorian agent, Mr Terry Healy, in June 1987 for display at the York Motor Museum in Western Australia and is now available to the public for the first time since, offering the opportunity to own a very rare and historically important automobile
• Estimate:
  A$150,000 - 200,000
• Realised Price:
  *****
  

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• Category:
  Automobiles & Accessories

This Sale has been held and this item is no longer available. Details are provided for information purposes only.