Blast from the Past 2 – Tatra

Not to be confused with the Indian company in the news as a potential new owner for Jaguar, Tatra is a Czech manufacturer of lorries and cars (although I thought it had gone out of business). Certain features have become synonymous with the Tatra name - particularly air-cooled engines (as far as I know Tatra make the only air-cooled V8 in the world); chassis based round a central tubular “spine”; and independent suspension by swinging half axles. Surely there was no way that such quirks could survive in our conformist world.



Apparently they can; Tatra are supplying the British firm, Bowler with a prototype T5 class transporter for the famous Paris-Dakar rally-raid. The transporter will act as a support vehicle for the Bowler team and will enable Tatra to investigate the market for factory-built international rally-raid and rally assistance FIA category T4 and T5 vehicles. The press release makes a point of mentioning the truck’s fully independent swing-axle suspension (surely the only vehicle on sale anywhere with swing axles), rigid central tube frame and air-cooled 442bhp V8 diesel.