Tatra trucks in Oz?

Talking to a bloke recently and he mentioned that many years ago a bloke up off the old Hume Hwy somewhere around either Leppington or Catherine Fields way used to run a Tatra p/m on interstate. Said what he could recall about it, was a single drive pulling a spread bogie on general and often top loaded out of Cable Makers over the river from Liverpool. Peaked my interest a bit as grew up in that area asa young buck. This bloke seemed to think that it had an air cooled large capacity vee engine and I queried if he wasn’t thinking of the Deutz brand, of which there were quite a few getting around. He maintained it was definitely a Tatra and not the Deutz. He then added that he thought that they may have had some tie up with Skoda cars which were tried out here in the early sixties, first time around. Which I always thought were of Czech build back in the bad old Warsaw Pact days, and also thought a bit unusual being a communist bloc country and not really a country that we here in Oz had much to do with. The Tatra name was quite well known in Europe as is Skoda and both go back pre WW2, supplying war materials and vehicles. Anyone throw any light on Tatra trucks being imported over here’? Dave_64

Dave

While I am looking for historic TATRA trucks I found they are being imported currently by OFF Road Trucks and there are quite a few around. Here is their web site.
www.offroadtrucks.com.au/tatra-design/

There are also a few second hand for sale. Very capable 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8. This one is in WA for $154,000



This is the engine/transmission choice of the current most popular model the 815

Engine
[1] Diesel naturally aspirated or turbocharged

Tatra (Air-cooled)
V8 (12.6 L) 1983-present
V10 (15.8 L)1983-present
V12 (19.0 L) 1983-present
Deutz
V6 (11.9 L)
V8 (15.8 L)
Cummins
L10 (10.0 L)
M11 (10.8 L)
ISM (10.8 L)
ISL (8.9 L)
ISB (5.9 L)
CAT
C13 (12.5 L)
C15 (15.2 L)
C18 (18.1 L)
Detroit
6067SK60 (11.1 L)
MTU
V12 (183TD224)(22.5 L)
V12 (1163) (440 kW) [2]
Transmission
[3]

Tatra
10 speed manual(10TS180)
14 speed manual(14TS210L)
14 speed semi-automatic
TwinDisc
6-speed automatic (TD-61-1175)
10-speed automatic (TD-101-3600)
Allison
5- & 6-speed automatic

These vehicles are worthy of more study.

Here is a very interesting story about a TATRA 6 wheeler being driven across Australia in the 1930's
heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/2015/07/acro...tralia-by-tatra.html




I have driven past this museum and kick myself I did not stop.

heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/2016/11/tatr...seum-koprivince.html

A couple of years ago,Tatra were on Boundary Rd ,Archerfield.....Dont think they sold very many......Only one Ive seen on the road is a crowd called Fenco.....who build fences.......seriously weird with swing axles,and tailshafts enclosed in a central tube chassis......Supposed to be good on icy roads,not a lot of use in Qld.......Pre 1989,all Czech stuff was from state factories.......and Czech machine tools have been on the market here since the fifties.......TOS...Zbrojovka Strakonize......Zbrojovka Brno,......Hostivar...,etc....not to mention Jawa and CZ motorbikes,Manet scooters......and Skoda cars....now owned by VW.

Lang,
Very comprehensive info there, thanks!
Could possibly be that the one(s) I'm asking about (1960-era) could well have been either private imports or maybe even demonstrators.
If they are the ones I'm thinking of, looked a bit like pre-1418 Benz's, square boxy looking, set back front axle.
Cheers, Dave

Dave

They would have been T138 up to late Sixties or T148 from then on. Here are the two models. Cab looks the same just changed front tin like every truck manufacturer did.

Tatra's off road abilities would be most appreciated in any part of Australia.

Tatra run in the DAKAR Rally with great success and feature all over You Tube in off road displays that are quite amazing.

The swing axles give the vehicle its great off road ability.

I'd have one in a heartbeat if I had a real use it.

The TATRA 111 ran from 1942 to 1962 (with upgrades). Was one of the main vehicles for the German Army in WW2 but a very big seller in its civilian guise after the war. Air cooled V12 diesel. Later a V8, V6 and a straight 6 all air-cooled were offered. Military ones below but the later civilian had more rounded cabs but the same front.

A feature the troops liked was even the V12 could be hand crank started. Must have had some sort of valve lifter system.

Now this is really cool! The engine noises are terrific.

1956 Article in the Argus newspaper

trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71643905