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Tatra CEO Plans To Make Retro-Styled Machines
We all thought the Tatra-based Faurecio design study was pretty cool, but what about the real thing? Tatra is still in business, but these days they make only big trucks. However, our Corvette-importin', Tatra 603 road-testin' friend in the Czech Republic, BobAsh, informs us that car freaks in the CR are in a frenzy over a recent announcement by Tatra's CEO that they plan to start building a few historic Tatra models on modern drivetrains. Make the jump to get BobAsh's take on the whole business. More »
used cars
Malaise Era Corvette Begins Long Journey To Czech Republic
In a vivid demonstration of how this here internet thing has made the world shrink, BobAsh (our Czech Tatra 603 road-testin' friend) has arranged with me and Señor Loverman to inspect, buy, and deliver an East Bay 1981 Corvette to a shipping container bound from the Port of Los Angeles for the Land of Kafka. The Loverman's role was to handle the "buy and deliver" part, an adventure he covered in his usual style at his current place of employment. But before that Late Malaise machine could head south, it had to be inspected by yours truly; make the jump for the story and more photos.
More »
10:40 AM on Thu Mar 13 2008
By Murilee Martin
1,797 views,
32 comments
Latest by Slash3: I'm disappointed - you only managed to work "Malaise" into that post 5 times! ;) Jalopnik. Single handedly bringing back the malaise era! Part 2 should be entertaining, I expect much duct tape usage. more »
la auto show
Cars like this make me stop and think. I mean, either Jalopnik is sending out strange vibrations, or there are other people in the world who think the only thing better than a Czech-built Tatra is a French-built one. Well, here's the rub — it's not actually a production vehicle. The Faurecia is a design study. And here's the odd part, and it's going to upset you, but only at first. The engine ain't in the trunk no more. I know, I know, sacrilege. However, there is method to this seeming madness. The rear seats fold down and the trunk extends out. Super Franco-Czech storage possibilities! More later on the tres-nifty interior, but this blasphemous sucker is one of the very best looking cars at the show. OK, we're off to cover the new FWD Ferrari minivan. Au revoir!
LA Auto Show: A French Tatra called Faurecia
Cars like this make me stop and think. I mean, either Jalopnik is sending out strange vibrations, or there are other people in the world who think the only thing better than a Czech-built Tatra is a French-built one. Well, here's the rub — it's not actually a production vehicle. The Faurecia is a design study. And here's the odd part, and it's going to upset you, but only at first. The engine ain't in the trunk no more. I know, I know, sacrilege. However, there is method to this seeming madness. The rear seats fold down and the trunk extends out. Super Franco-Czech storage possibilities! More later on the tres-nifty interior, but this blasphemous sucker is one of the very best looking cars at the show. OK, we're off to cover the new FWD Ferrari minivan. Au revoir!
engine swap
Engine Swap of the Day: Tatra and Audi V8s In Škoda Felicia
I've been making inquiries of our Czech friend BobAsh about the possibility of obtaining a Tatra V8 and transaxle from his homeland, thinking it might be fun to do a Tatra-engined VW Squareback as my personal Hell Project. He suggested I check out what some Czech madman did with a late-50s Škoda Felicia: first, a DOHC Tatra 613 V8 in the rear (and this was originally a front-engined car)... but that just wasn't insane enough. Now it's packing an Audi 4.2 with what appears to be eight Mikuni carbs. The article is in Czech, but you get the idea. [FeliciaCentrum.cz]
road test
Apparently, it wasn't enough for our Coronet 440-drivin' Czech friend BobAsh to tip us off about some vintage Tatra hoonage or help us out with a Czech Project Car Hell. Now he's gone and found a beautifully restored, Communist-bureaucrat-spec '65 Tatra 603 sedan, shot a ton of quality photographs, and then road-tested it for us. Make the jump to get the whole story in BobAsh's own words.
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BobAsh Road Tests the 1965 Tatra 603
Apparently, it wasn't enough for our Coronet 440-drivin' Czech friend BobAsh to tip us off about some vintage Tatra hoonage or help us out with a Czech Project Car Hell. Now he's gone and found a beautifully restored, Communist-bureaucrat-spec '65 Tatra 603 sedan, shot a ton of quality photographs, and then road-tested it for us. Make the jump to get the whole story in BobAsh's own words.More »
down on the street bonus edition
Down On The Czech Street: Skoda Spartak!
Once again, our Czech tipster BobAsh has come through with the Skoda goods for us, this time in the form of a bunch of shots of a Skoda 440 (also known as the Spartak) from the mid-to-late 50s. Since BobAsh was kind enough to write a lot of description, thus sparing my lazy ass from having to, you know, do work, we'll hear the rest in his own words: More »
tatra
Tatra-Land USA!
Since several of Los Jalopniks are now frantically scouring all potential North American Tatra sources in hopes of obtaining a fixer-upper example of our favorite air-cooled V8 Czech car, it was inevitable that we'd stumble across Dr. Nick's "Tatraplan" site. Sadly, all it has accomplished is to make us realize that the only way to get an affordable Tatra is to go east. Way east. I tell you what, the ones with the dorsal fins are the best! [Cement Horizon]
van
Forget the VW Transporter: Hippie Barkas!
After helping us do an All-Czech Project Car Hell last week, our Czech Connection, bobash, now sends us some shots of a hippified Barkas B1000. See, an East German van is far more suitable for patchouli-scented adventures than its West German counterpart. We're starting to think it's time for a visit to the Czech Republic... [Picasaweb]
news
Skrew The Sales: Skoda Posts Record Profits For 2006, Too!
V-Dub's highly precise Czech automaker released 2006 financial numbers today that broke the record books for the Republic's largest vehicle exporter. We already told you that sales rose 11.7% to 549,667 vehicles, with production up 12% to 556,347 vehicles. But now, on the P&L side, they also showed sharp improvements with operational profits leaping 34.5% to $677.2 million. Great news, yes, but the best news is the line from the Reuters report on the press release:"Skoda Auto, once the butt of auto industry jokes for its reputation for producing low-quality cars during the Communist era, now has Volkswagen laughing all the way to the bank."May we please offer up a new slogan? How about:
"Skoda: From Butt To Bank"I kind of like that. What do you think — catchy? More »
