Tatra · 1948–1952

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 prototype was finished in 1946.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Tatra 97 · Successor: Tatra 603

All Tatra 600 data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years → + Compare

History

After World War II, Tatra continued its pre-war business of building passenger cars in addition to commercial vehicles and military vehicles. The factory was nationalised in 1946, two years before the Communist takeover. Although production of pre-war models continued, a new model, the Tatra 600 Tatraplan, was designed in 1946–47 by Josef Chalupa, Vladimír Popelář, František Kardaus, and Hans Ledwinka. The name of the car celebrated the new Communist planned economy but also referred to aeroplane inspiration ('éroplan' means aeroplane in colloquial Czech). Originally, the 600 was known as the Tatra 107, continuing from Tatra's previous aerodynamic cars- the 77, 87, and 97- as it was intended as a newer, smaller, and cheaper version to replace the outdated Tatra 57. Tatra switched to a new numbering system after WWII, with all car model codes beginning with 600; as a result, the Tatra 107 became the Tatra 600. After two prototypes, "Ambrož" (December 1946) and "Josef" (March 1947), the 600 went into mass production in 1948. In 1951, the state planning department decided that the Tatraplan should henceforth be built at the Skoda Auto plant in Mladá Boleslav, leaving Tatra to concentrate on truck assembly. This was quite unpopular with the workforce at both plants: as a result, Skoda built Tatraplans for one year only before the model was discontinued in 1952. The Tatraplan had a monocoque streamlined ponton-styled 6-seat fastback saloon body with front suicide doors and a drag coefficient (Cd) of just 0.32. It was powered by an air-cooled flat-four cylinder, 1,952 cc rear-mounted engine. 6,342 were made, 2,100 of them in Mladá Boleslav. In 2010, in the UK, the Tatraplan won the 'Classic Car of the Year' competition in the 1940s category. A modified 600 convertible with a

Models

Tatra 107 - original designation of 600. Tatra 201 - commercial version of 600, four built (a pickup truck, a panel van, and two ambulances) in 1947. Unlike the 600, the 201 was front-engined. Tatra 600 Diesel - similar to 600 but with 2.0L diesel engine, three prototypes built in 1949. Tatra 601 Monte Carlo - a 2-door sports car based on the 600, one (possibly two) built in 1949. Tatra 602 Tatraplan Sports - a racing car based on the 600, 2 built in 1949.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name

Tatra 600 Tatraplan

Manufacturer

Tatra, a. s.

Assembly

Kopřivnice, Czechoslovakia (1948–1951), Mladá Boleslav, Czechoslovakia (Škoda plant; 1951–1952)

Production

1948–1952, 6,342 built

Predecessor

Tatra 97

Successor

Tatra 603

Class

Large family car (D)

Body style

4-door fastback saloon

Engine

1952 cc (2.0L) Tatra 600 Flat-4

Layout

RR layout

Transmission

4-speed manual

Length

4540 mm

Wheelbase

2700 mm

Designer

Josef Chalupa, Vladimír Popelář, František Kardaus, Hans Ledwinka

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1286974CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatra_600CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1347923537 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tatraplan_mfd_1949_1950cc.JPGCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: Charles01 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

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