The Tatra 17 is a vintage automobile produced by the Czech manufacturer Tatra from 1925 until 1929. It was the company's top-end model which was sold alongside the

economy car Economy car is a term mostly used in the United States for cars designed for low-cost purchase and operation. Typical economy cars are small (compact or subcompact), lightweight, and inexpensive to both produce and purchase. Stringent design const ...

Tatra 12 The Tatra 12 is a model of vintage automobile made by Czech manufacturer Tatra. It was manufactured between 1926 and 1933. It was replaced by the Tatra 57 in 1932. All Czech car manufacturers were making large and expensive cars at the beginnin ...

and

middle class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Com ...

Tatra 30 The Tatra 30 is an automobile formerly made by the Czech manufacturer Tatra. It was manufactured between 1926 and 1928. From 1928 to 1931 the car was fitted with a newer engine and is therefore called the Tatra 30/52. Design Engine Tatra 30 Th ...

Design

Engine

Originally, the car was fitted with a liquid-cooled six-cylinder OHC in-line Tatra 17 engine with and 35 hp (26 kW) power. The block was made from

silumin Silumin is a general name for a group of lightweight, high-strength aluminium alloys based on an aluminum–silicon system. Aluminium-silicon alloys typically contain 3 to 25% silicon content. Casting is the primary use of aluminum-silicon alloys, ...

and cylinder heads from

aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...

. It was the first Tatra with an ignition battery. The maximum attainable speed of the heavy car was . Altogether 205 vehicles were made before 25 September 1926. Another engine used was from the even more up-market Tatra 31. This was also a liquid-cooled six-cylinder in-line OHC, however this time with and 39,4 hp (29,4 kW) of power. The maximum speed was raised to . 250 vehicles were made with this engine. Tatra 17/31 was for some time manufactured alongside the successor model Tatra 31, of which 300 vehicles were made.

Backbone tube

Model 17 was the first luxury Tatra with a backbone tube, which had been successfully used in the low cost type

Tatra 11 The Tatra T11 is an automobile that was produced from 1923 through 1927. It was the first Tatra model to use the unique combination of major components that are still in use on the trucks produced by Tatra to this day. Origins Hans Ledwinka crea ...

. Unlike model 11, the Tatra 17 had independent suspension not only of the rear half axles, but also of the front axles. The car's driveshaft is inside the tube and the gear box and engine are mounted in the front of the tube, while the differential is in the rear.

Versions

Tatra 17 was a luxurious car for demanding clients. Many different versions were made, from a two-seater roadster to six-seater limousines. There were also a few fire engines made. One of them remains in application as honorary fire engine of Svatý Jan nad Malší firefighters. File:Ostrava (7234024490).jpg, Tatra 17 fire truck File:Tatra T17,30.jpg, Tatra 17/31 File:Tatra 17-31 Sport vet arena Olomouc 1.JPG, Tatra 17/31 Sport File:Tatra 17-31 Sport vet arena Olomouc 2.JPG, Tatra 17/31 Sport - front left side

External links

Tatraportakl.sk - Tatra 17Tatra 17/31 Fire engine video
{{Tatra models 17 Cars of the Czech Republic Cars introduced in 1925 Automobiles with backbone chassis