Tatra · 1934–1933

Tatra 77

The Tatra 77 (T77) is one of the first serial-produced, truly aerodynamically-designed automobiles, produced by Czechoslovak company Tatra from 1934 to 1938. It was developed by Hans Ledwinka and Paul Jaray, the Zeppelin aerodynamic engineer. Launched in 1934, the Tatra 77 is a coach-built automobile, constructed on a platform chassis with a pressed box-section steel backbone rather than Tatra's trademark tubular chassis, and is powered by a 60 horsepower (45 kW) rear-mounted 2.97-litre air-cooled V8 engine, in later series increased to a 75 horsepower (56 kW) 3.4-litre engine. It possessed advanced engineering features, such as overhead valves, hemispherical combustion chambers, a dry sump, fully independent suspension, rear swing axles and extensive use of lightweight magnesium alloy for the engine, transmission, suspension and body. The average drag coefficient of a 1:5 model of a Tatra 77 was recorded as 0.2455. The later model T77a, introduced in 1935, has a top speed of over 150 km/h (93 mph) due to its advanced aerodynamic design which delivers an exceptionally low drag coefficient of 0.212. Sources claim that this is the coefficient of a 1:5 scale model, not of the car itself, so the actual drag coefficient may have been slightly higher.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Tatra V570 · Successor: Tatra 87

All Tatra 77 data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

History

The Tatra Company began manufacturing cars in 1897 in Kopřivnice, Moravia, in today's Czech Republic, making it the third-oldest still-existing automobile manufacturer in the world. Under the direction of Hans Ledwinka, the company employed many of the genius minds of automotive history, including Erich Übelacker and consultant Paul Jaray, who together designed the Tatra 77. Paul Jaray and Tatra V570. Paul Jaray first worked at Luftschiffbau Zeppelin (LZ) where he gained experience in the aerodynamic design of airships. He used his access to LZ's wind tunnels and subsequently established streamlining principles for car design. In 1927 he founded a company specializing in developing streamlined car bodies and selling issuing licences to major vehicle manufacturers. Tatra was the only manufacturer to incorporate Jaray's streamlining principles into their series car production, starting with the Tatra 77. Before designing the large, luxurious T77, Jaray designed an aerodynamic body for the Tatra 57, a mid-range model. This prototype was not developed further and failed to reach production. Instead, Jaray constructed two prototypes for a concept designated the Tatra V570, which more closely conformed to his aerodynamic streamlining principles, featuring a beetle-shaped body. Decision to make luxurious state-of-the-art car. However, at the time Tatra already had a cheap, strongly-selling car in its production range, which was moreover popular due to its continuation of the tradition of simplicity and ultra-reliability inaugurated by the Tatra 11. Although Tatra management saw the advantages of Jaray's concept, they believed that the new model would make sense only as an additional model with limited production, which meant that it should be aimed at the top of the automobile

Design

A number of designers around the world were trying to construct an aerodynamic car at the time, but Tatra was the first one to successfully introduce it into serial production. There were numerous reasons why Tatra designers took such a revolutionary approach to the conception of the new car: First of all it was their aim to reduce drag, mostly air-drag, which increases with the square of the speed. A car with a more standard body shape of the era needed a very powerful engine to reach higher speeds. The Tatra's new body shape was tested in a wind tunnel. However, the new requirements this brought about resulted in far-reaching changes to the car's design. The requirement of a small front face area limited the car's height, which in turn required the use of a flat floor. That led to putting the engine in the rear of the car, directly above the driven axle. Subsequently there was no need for a floor tunnel with a drive shaft and exhaust pipes, which contributed to a reduction in weight. As the designers wanted to reduce the rolling resistance, they did their best to produce an engine as light as possible: an air-cooled V8 with a crank case made from elektron, a magnesium alloy. The gearbox was also made from elektron, and it was positioned in front of the engine and rear axle. The rear position of the engine was favourable for air cooling, while the oil cooler, battery and spare wheel were positioned in the front of the car. The frameless body was characterized by its central structural member, which was firmly welded to the floor panels and which covered the linkage to the brakes, gearbox, etc. The front of the car had a basically rectangular cross section and was rounded all the way to the floor. The front bumper covered the rounded fenders, while the lower halves of t

In culture

A Tatra 77 features in the 1935 film The Tunnel at 17:23, and again at 58:30. A 1936 Tatra 77 was shown at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London from November 2019 to April 2020 included in their exhibition "Cars: Accelerating the Modern World".

Literature

Margolius, Ivan & Henry, John G., Tatra - The Legacy of Hans Ledwinka, Veloce Publishing, Dorchester 2015, ISBN 978-1-845847-99-9 & ISBN 978-1-787116-30-6

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 77, Tatra 77a
Manufacturer: TATRA, a. s.
Production: 1934–1935 (Tatra 77), 1935–1938 (Tatra 77a), 249 produced, (+ 4 pre-serial in 1933)
Assembly: Kopřivnice, Moravia, Czechoslovakia
sp: uk
Predecessor: Tatra V570
Successor: Tatra 87
Class: 4-door sedan, Executive luxury vehicle
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Layout: RR layout
Body style: limousine (Finned fastback, Cd=0.36)
Engine: 3.0L Tatra 77 V8 (T77), 3.4L Tatra 77a V8 (T77a)
Wheelbase: 3150 mm
Length: 5000-5200 mm (T77), 5300-5400 mm (T77a)
Width: 1650 mm (T77), 1660 mm (T77a)
Height: 1420-1500 mm (T77), 1600 mm (T77a)
Kerb weight: 1700 kg (T77), 1800 kg (T77a)
Designer: Hans Ledwinka, Erich Übelacker

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/Q1640623CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatra_77CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1348873771 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tatra_T_77a.jpgPublic domain · Photo: see file page · 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.