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When the Czech Republic was formed, the centralized planned economy appointed Tatra to be the manufacturer for big automobiles (those cars with engine displacement over 2000cc). It was then that work began on developing the T-603. This model was unveiled to the public in 1955 at the International Motor Event in Zlin, and production started […]

Tatra began as a Czechoslovakian car maker in 1922 and has been one of the largest auto makers behind the Iron Curtain. You can find additional history and a display of Tatra automobiles inside the museum. The T-613 was introduced in 1969 as a luxury automobile but it was available also as an ambulance. In

The first vehicles produced by Vidal under the Tempo name were 3-wheeled delivery vans, starting in 1926. By 1933, the company was producing a 2-seater passenger model powered by a 200cc single-cylinder engine. Four-wheeled cars were introduced in 1936. Before you is an example of their most unusual design–the twin engined G1200. It has a

The Sports 800 was Toyota’s first sports car, paving the way for the 2000GT, AE86/Levin, and the recent Scion FR-S/Toyota GT86. Based on the Publica sedan, the Sports 800 uses an air-cooled, horizontally-opposed, two-cylinder engine. The Sports 800 is tuned more for performance than the sensible Publica, with increased displacement and two carburetors. The car’s

Vespa is known around the world for its scooters, but few people may know it produced one economy car. The company’s president felt that FIAT’s prominence in Italy should not be challenged, so the Vespa 400 was produced in France. The four passenger coupe had a rolltop roof, all-independent coil spring suspension, and hydraulic brakes.

The Urba Centurion was a kit car designed by Quincy-Lynn Enterprises in 1982. A full set of plans, available through Mechanix Illustrated, cost a mere $17.00! The basis for the car is a 1970 Triumph Spitfire chassis with the British engine replaced by a three-cylinder 18 hp Kubota diesel engine. The body is handcrafted fiberglass

Gabriel Voisin was a major manufacturer of airplanes during World War I. The end of the war saw him with a large fortune and an equally large factory, but a very small market for airplanes. In 1919, he decided to become a car manufacturer and acquired a ready-made engine design–a 3969cc sleeve-valve four which had

The Volkswagen Beetle is a car we are all familiar with. More than 20 million were sold. While the name “Porsche” is associated with expensive cars, Ferdinand Porsche had a life-long interest in a small car that an average working person could afford. Porsche’s prototypes came to the attention of the newly elected chancellor of

DAF began in 1928 as a small garage. By 1949, they started manufacturing trucks and trailers. Their success led to the production of cars. The idea was to builda small affordable “luxury” car with an automatic transmission similar to that in a Buick Dynaflow. The problem was that such a transmission was too big, too