Development of Tatras in Slovakia in the past and outlook for the future

Although the Tatra carmaker has been remembered in Slovakia, especially in connection with the production of trucks in Bánovce nad Bebravou, the development of Tatra passenger cars has an indelible historical mark in Slovakia. The Tatra Bratislava Design and Development Center was established in Bratislava on July 1, 1960, with the task of designing commercial vehicles with a Tatra T 603 engine. Tatra T 603MB. In the same year, this minibus underwent tests that proved its very good driving characteristics. The designers in Bratislava also designed the Tatra T 603 NP on a similar principle. It was a low-platform flatbed truck, which, according to witnesses, drove around Bratislava on a trial basis and distributed goods to drugstores. Neither the Tatra T 603MB minibus nor the Tatra T 603 NP have ever been mass-produced.

The most famous project of the Bratislava branch of the Tatra Kopřivnice was the project of the new generation of the Tatra T 603. In 1963 the Bratislava branch was commissioned to design and develop a new limousine to replace the older version of the Tatra T 60 In 1964, he prepared several designs for the new Tatra T 603 sedan. The winning design was marked X-5 and the prototype of the new vehicle was marked as T 603 X. At the same time, it was the only design that appeared in the form of a functional sample. Compared to the Tatra T 603 sedan, several changes could be seen in the T 603 X prototype. These concerned, for example, increased engine power from 77 KW to 90 kW, increasing the maximum speed to 160 km / h, reducing fuel consumption, or a smaller interior compared to the older Tatra T 603 sedan. The car was completed in 1967 and introduced to the management of Tatra . Due to the smaller interior of the vehicle, which was crucial for representative vehicles, the T 603 X model was not finally approved by the management of the Kopřivnice car manufacturer. Nevertheless, the Tatra T 603 X is considered one of the top works of the Bratislava branch of Tatra.

After several decades, Tatra has returned to Slovakia, this time to Trenčín. At the beginning of July, Tatra Defense Slovakia, a subsidiary of the Czech Tatra Trucks, officially started its operations there. Tatra Defense Slovakia starts production of Tatra trucks at its plant in Trenčín, thus continuing the historical tradition of Tatra production in the Trenčín region. The company plans to employ 150 people in two years and start the production of trucks primarily on Tatra Force and Tatra Tactic chassis. In addition, Tatra Defense Slovakia will continue the historical tradition of Tatra development in Slovakia, this time focused on the development of trucks. “There is a lot of interest in the Tatras. In addition to production and service, we also plan to actively participate in the development, which enables us to ensure the entire life cycle of the vehicle, “said Michal Baláž, CEO of Tatra Defense Slovakia. To achieve this goal, Tatra Defense Slovakia would join forces with the development capacities of the parent company Tatra Trucks. Thanks to Tatra Defense Slovakia, not only the production of Tatra trucks is returning to Slovakia, but historically the company can also continue the tradition of development and design of the Tatras in Slovakia and thus start the successful development of the Tatras in Slovakia.

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