Tatra 97
| Tatra 97 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | TATRA, a. s. |
| Production |
|
| Designer | Hans Ledwinka, Erich Ledwinka, Erich Übelacker |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Mid-size car |
| Body style | limousine |
| Layout | RR layout |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1.8L Tatra 97 F4 |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,600 mm (102.4 in) |
| Length | 4,270 mm (168.1 in) |
| Width | 1,610 mm (63.4 in) |
| Height | 1,450 mm (57.1 in) |
| Curb weight | 1,150 kg (2,540 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor |
Tatra V570 Tatra T77a |
| Successor | Tatra 600 |
The Type 97 is a mid-class saloon car from Czechoslovak car-maker Tatra. It was produced for a short time in the pre-war period, from 1936 to 1939.
The T97 was designed in 1936 as a smaller alternative to the large T87. Instead of a V8, it was powered by a 1.8-litre flat-four engine. With engine power of 29.4 kilowatts (40.0 PS; 39.4 bhp) the car could achieve top speed of 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph). The design was also simplified, using just two headlights instead of three, a single-piece windscreen, and an overall smaller body. Production of the car was canceled after the Nazis annexed Czechoslovakia in 1938, possibly to avoid comparison with the KdF-Wagen (see below). At that time, 508 cars were built. In 1946, still two years before the Communist party coming to power, the Tatra was nationalized, as the company's owner and top-management were convicted of collaboration with the Nazis. Production of the prewar models resumed, but soon the T97 was dropped in favor of the larger and more modern Tatraplan - a name referring to the car's aircraft inspiration ('éroplan' means aeroplane in colloquial Czech) - which also replaced the T87.
Both the streamlined design and the technical specifications, especially the air-cooled flat-four engine mounted in the back, give the T97 a striking resemblance to the KdF-Wagen of Volkswagen, which later became the Beetle. It is believed that Porsche used Tatra's designs since he was under huge pressure to design the Volkswagen quickly and cheaply. According to the books Tatra - The Legacy of Hans Ledwinka and Car Wars, Adolf Hitler said of the Tatra 'this is the car for my roads'.Ferdinand Porsche later admitted 'to have looked over Ledwinka's shoulders' while designing the Volkswagen.
In the same sentence he stated that Ledwinka sometimes looked over Porsches shoulder. Tatra sued Porsche for damages, and Porsche was willing to settle. However, Hitler canceled this, saying he 'would settle the matter.' When Czechoslovakia was invaded by the Nazis, the production of the T97 was immediately halted, and the lawsuit dropped. After the war, Tatra reopened the lawsuit against Volkswagen. In 1965, the matter was settled when Volkswagen paid Tatra 1,000,000 Deutsche Mark in compensation.
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Wikipedia