The Tatra 57 are a series of two-door

compact car Compact car is a vehicle size class — predominantly used in North America — that sits between subcompact cars and mid-size cars. "Small family car" is a British term and a part of the C-segment in the European car classification. However, p ...

s, built by

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

n company Tatra from 1932. They are popularly known by the nickname ''"Hadimrška"''. Tatra updated the model as the 57A in 1936, and as 57B in 1938. A military adaptation, the 57K, (for ''Kübelwagen'') was introduced in 1941. Through 1945, more than 5,000 Tatra Kübelwagens were built. All versions have a characteristic Tatra

backbone chassis Backbone tube chassis is a type of automobile construction chassis that is similar to the body-on-frame design. Instead of a two-dimensional ladder-type structure, it consists of a strong tubular backbone (usually rectangular in cross section) ...

, with the drive-shaft running encased in its central structural tube. Tatra ended production of the 57K in 1947, and of the 57B in 1949. With that the company altogether withdrew from making compact cars; from 1948 its smallest model was the 2 litre

Tatra 600 The Tatra 600, named the Tatraplan, was a rear-engined large family car (D-segment in Europe) produced from 1948 to 1952 by the Czech manufacturer Tatra. The first prototype was finished in 1946. History After World War II, Tatra continued its ...

History

Tatra 57

The Tatra type 57, introduced in 1931, succeeded the

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 ...

. Styling continued the same streamlined, closed nose front as its predecessors – Type 11 and 12. It has a 1,155 cc

overhead valve An overhead valve (OHV) engine, sometimes called a ''pushrod engine'', is a piston engine whose valves are located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier flathead engines, where the valves were located be ...

flat-four engine A flat-four engine, also known as a horizontally opposed-four engine, is a four-cylinder piston engine with two banks of cylinders lying on opposite sides of a common crankshaft. The most common type of flat-four engine is the boxer-four engine, ...

that produces . Its fuel consumption is between eight and 10 litres per 100 km. Bodies offered included a four-seat saloon, four-seat convertible and two-seat convertible. All were two-door.

Tatra 57A

In 1935 Tatra replaced the Type 57 with the 57A – changing to a more conventional open front grille design. The 1,155 cc engine's power output was increased to . The body was restyled, and given a radiator grille similar to that of the larger Tatra 75. A commercial van version was offered.

Tatra 57B

In 1938 Tatra replaced the Type 57A with the 57B. For the new model Tatra enlarged the engine to 1,256 cc and increased its power to . File:Tatra 57 + Tatra 11 (cropped).JPG, Tatra 57 and

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 ...

File:Tatra 57A 1936 (10610746276).jpg, Tatra 57A File:Tatra 57 B.jpg, Tatra 57B File:Sodomkovo Mýto 2011 - 92.JPG, 57 B interior

Tatra 57K

In 1941, Tatra added the 57K ''Kübelwagen'', which was a military ''four-door'' convertible for the German

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, officially designated as ''"Leichter Personenkraftwagen"'' (le. Pkw.) Tatra 57K. It was constructed on the Germans' specifications, with increased ground clearance and a 1,256 cc engine, detuned to . From 1941 to 1945, Tatra manufactured 5,415 units of the Tatra T 57 K, which were frequently used by Nazi police forces. Production of this model further continued through 1947. File:1 TATRA 57K.jpg, File:Tatra 57K Jilemnice (cropped).JPG, Doorless Kübelwagen unit File:BAHNA 2018 - 033 (cropped).jpg, Straight sheetsteel body with ''four'' doors on the regular T 57K

References

Bibliography

External links

* {{Tatra models 1940s cars Automobiles with backbone chassis Cars powered by boxer engines Cars introduced in 1936 Coupés Rear-wheel-drive vehicles 57 Cars introduced in 1932