Article : Tatra 77

The Czechoslovakian Tatra 77 (T77) is the first serial-produced truly aerodynamically designed automobile. It was developed by Hans Ledwinka and Paul Jaray, the Zeppelin aerodynamic engineer. Launched in 1934, the Tatra 77 is a coach-built automobile constructed on a central tube-steel chassis.

The Tatra Company began manufacturing cars in 1897 in Kopřivnice, Moravia, today’s Czech republic, making it the third oldest still existing automobile manufacturer in the world. Under the direction of Hans Ledwinka, the company employed many genius minds of automotive history, including Erich Übelacker and consultant Paul Jaray, who all designed the Tatra 77.

Paul Jaray first worked at Luftschiffbau Zeppelin (LZ) where he gained experience with aerodynamic design of airships. He used his access to LZ’s wind tunnels and subsequently established the streamlining principles for car design. In 1927 he founded a company specializing in developing streamlined car bodies and selling issuing licenses to major vehicle manufacturers. Tatra was the only manufacturer to incorporate Jaray streamline principles into their series car production, starting with the Tatra 77.

A number of designers around the world were trying to construct an aerodynamic car at the time, but Tatra was the first one to successfully introduce it into serial production. There were numerous reasons why Tatra designers took such a revolutionary approach to the conception of the new car: First of all it was the aim to reduce drag, mostly air-drag, which increases with the square of speed.
A car with a common body shape of the era needed a very powerful engine to reach higher speeds. The Tatra’s new body shape was wind tunnel tested. However, the new type of coach building required a change of the whole car’s concept.

Hans Ledwinka was the chief-designer responsible for the development of the new car, while Erich Übelacker was responsible for the body. The development was very secretive until the last moments of the official presentation on March 5, 1934 at Prague Tatra offices. The car was demonstrated on the road from Prague to Karlovy Vary, where it easily reached 145 kilometres per hour (90 mph) and amazed newspapermen with great handling and comfortable ride at speeds of about 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph).

That same year the T77 was presented at the Paris motorshow, where it became the center of attention not only due to its atypism, but also due to its performance. There were even demonstration rides after the ability of the car to reach 140 kilometres per hour (87 mph) with a mere 45 kilowatts (60 hp) of engine power to reach was doubted, as normally at the time for a car to reach such a speed required about twice as much horsepower.

Tatras are wondrous things. From 1934-1953 they were the most advanced and forward-thinking cars on earth, and it’d be a few years afterwards before the Citroen DS eclipsed them in ‘55. The T77 and T87 were as heavily influenced by contemporary art, fashion, and politics as they were aerodynamics, sophisticated metallurgy, and the highest mechanical engineering standards.

One thing that held little sway in their development, however, was money, as Tatra never conceded that to make a profit would require limiting their car’s ambition and quality—right up until they ended production in 1999.
Tatra’s still around, building interesting commercial and military trucks in Kopřivnice, Czech Republic, the company’s headquarters since foundation more than 160 years ago. Starting with carriages, by 1897 they were building some of the world’s first cars.

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatra_77