Czech treasure, Tatra 77
 

Czechoslovakian treasure faithfully restored to concourse level-quality, the Tatra 77 won the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d´Elegance. Built in 1934-1935, the Tatra 77 was aero-crafted by Paul Jaray and engineered by Tatra's chief designer Hans Ledwinka. Jaray had worked in aerodynamics for Luftschiffbau Zeppelin and produced the aerodynamic shapes for superior performance, fuel economy, and reduced cabin noise. The Tatra 77 had a 0.212 drag coefficient, the first serial-produced aerodynamically designed automobile. There are strong Art Deco visual arts influence was not as sweepingly flamboyant as the French Delahayes, the hand-built T77 was a product of science and tunnel-tested fluid dynamic engineering. It had an rear-engine air-cooled layout to reduce drivetrain/engine noises in the passenger cabin. The front hood was shortened and the rear section extended. It inspired Hitler's idea of a people's car and commissioned Ferdinand Porsche with his similar Zundapp Type 12 layout. Tatra sued Porsche for infringement but the German invasion of Czechoslovakia interrupted that. Post-war Volkswagen settled with Tatra. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEVwHDJ6hOc

I love this company... like the early Saab designs. What a beautiful example. Look at the fit and paint on those rear wheel well covers! I found something else on Tatras recently that is fun and different, but I won't pollute your thread with it.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Sk4esjCDj...2B175H%2Ba.jpg
1933 Merecdes-Benz 175H

As time goes on (and thanks to the power of the internet) I find more and more examples of vehicle designs/features I originally thought were original or unique that in truth are derivatives or copies of something that came before. Not that the derivatives aren't still cool as all heck. This is especially true as an American who is still learning about obscure Microcars and Cyclecars, especially foreign. I've been binging on Scharroo's Grab Bag on Flicker lately, and Bing image searches for micro- and cycle-cars... WOW, what goldmines of obscure treasures! :eek:

My son used to complain the ancients stole all his good ideas.

I invite you to look at this album [eleven pics]: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-f...e+minimum.html

[IMG]https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-f...-225-copy.jpeg[/IMG]

Thanks for this picture - the Mercedes 170H is the chassis used in the "Pillbug" Schlörwagen. Is the 175H similar, I wonder?

If you follow the link, there was a 130, 150 and 170H. I assume 175H was derivative.

In that process I learned about Béla Barényi, the designer/engineer of the 170H. A contemporary of Ledwinka and Ganz.

I'm a fan of the bubble-top coupe body style. Here's one from Chrysler that never made production [upper left]:
https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-f...9-11-44-11.png
With front-wheel drive, it even had a rumble seat.

I read an 18th-century treatise by English lawyer and composer Roger North once for a class, What is Ayre? ("ayre" being an older spelling of "air," meaning melody). In one passage he wrote, "Of all Products of Art in the world, Musick pretends most to novelty and hath least."

I think the same assessment applies to pretty much any field of art or design.

Nanotechnology?