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CARS
& HISTORY: TATRA T603 (1955-1975) |
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After the nationalization of all Czech
companies in 1948, only the three automobile manufacturers Praga, Skoda
and Tatra remained. These three companies were under the directives of
CZAL (United Czechoslovakian Automobile and Aircraft Industry) which in
turn was controlled by the Ministry of Defence. At first Tatra was
appointed to manufacture both trucks and passenger cars with an engine
capacity of over 1500 cc. This ment production of the very popular Tatra
T57B - with an engine capacity of 1256 cc - was stopped by order of CZAL
in 1948. After production of the T87 had stopped in 1950, the only Tatra
passenger car in production was the T600 Tatraplan. But in 1951 the
CZAL decided Skoda would produce all passenger cars and Tatra would
produce only heavy-duty all-terrain trucks. Tatra
fought very hard to keep it's production line of the T600 Tatraplan,
but by orders of the CZAL the entire
production line of the
T600 Tatraplan was moved from Koprivnice to the Skoda plant
in Mladá Boleslav. Less than two
years later, in 1952, - after 2100 Tatraplans had been built by
Skoda - the production line
was shut down completely. This ment there were no more Tatra passenger
cars in production. A sad thought when you consider the thriving pre-WW II
years with several models in a wide range of sizes and engine capacities.
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For a while it seemed as
if passenger car production
had finished for good in Koprivnice, but the Tatra
employees were still hoping and trying to start the
development of a new big luxurious passenger car in the
near future. In 1954 they did build one prototype of a
small 3,7 m long two-door car fitted with a 750 cc flat four-cylinder
air-cooled engine in the rear. This car got the type designation
T604, but was never developed beyond this one prototype. Neither the car
or pictures of it have remained. Fortunately the Czech minister Vaclav Kopecky had a soft
spot for Tatra cars and would try to use his influance in
favour of the Tatra company. After some time he managed
to pursuade the Czech Politburo to agree that Tatra would
be allowed to build a limited number of big passenger
cars for promotion purposes. The man responsible for the
design of the car was Julius Mackerle, while Ir. Jiri
Klos was responsible for the engine. Tatra chose to use
the air-cooled V8 T603-engine that had already been
developed a few years earlier and severely tested in the
racing single seater Tatra T607 and T2-607, the test cars T601 (based on
the T600 Tatraplan), the experimental test cars T87-T603 (based on
the T87) and the sportscar Tatra T602 Tatraplan Sport. |
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<<< T603
engine (1950) |
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DESIGNING THE T603
The first small steps towards the body shape of the new T603 were already
taken with the experimental T87-T603, built in very small numbers between
1950 and 1953. Apart from fitting the new T603 V8-engine, Tatra designers
also made some changes to the body of the T87, on which the T87-T603 was
based. The front was still unmistakenbly a T87 of the later bulbous
post-war design with fully integrated headlights. Changes were mainly to
the rear. There was now a large chrome stripe running from the end of the
front fenders over the side of the car to the wrap-around rear bumper. The
rear bonnet was fitted with rear windows of a larger design than those of
the T600 Tatraplan. Underneath the rear windows - which were
splitted by a tailfin of a slightly smaller design than that of the T87 -
were some air louvres for the engine cooling. The rear bonnet was rounded
off at the end, where as on the T87 it ends in a sharp V-shape. The rear
license plate was fitted inside a chrome surround with the word TATRA in
it. All these changes were later adapted on the design of the T603
prototypes and production car.
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<<<
The experimental T87-T603 - which was built between 1950 and 1953 after
production of the T87 had stopped - was equipped with a T603-engine and
shows some early T603-styling such as the chrome striping on the side, the
wrap-around rear bumper and larger rear windows (1953) |
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<<<
Early design drawing for the body
styling of the T603 with closed wheel arches front and rear, large wrap-
around bumpers and wrap-around front and rear windows, later T603 styling can already be recognized (1954) |
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After
the go-ahead from CZAL for the design of a new luxury passenger car for promotion
purposes, design work started on a completely new body for the T603. The
first design drawings date from 1954, in which radical streamlined shapes
can be seen with fully closed wheel arches front and rear, large
wrap-around bumpers and wrap-around front and rear windows. Some designs
are not unlike the American Tucker and show influences of American car
design from the late 1940s and early 1950s, although T603 styling was
mostly of a more modest design. |
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<<<
Wooden mock-up in scale 1:1 for the design of the T603, showing similarities with the
T87-T603, with closed rear
wheel arches, a low chrome stripe running over the side from the front
wheel to the rear wrap-around bumper, wrap-around front and rear windows and a T87-styled tailfin
which was never used on the prototypes or the production version, note
also the front bonnet mascot (1954) |
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T603
PROTOTYPES
During the
design process a wide variety of body styles were
proposed for the new car. A few designs were chosen to be
made into a 1:1 scale model. One of these models, a 1:1
wooden mock-up, was fitted with a large T87-styled tailfin.
The tailfin never made it into production, although other
prototypes and production cars did have a low rib on
the back as a reminder of earlier days and still with
the function to give the car a more stable roadholding. This rib runs
down the centre of the car from the back part of the roof on to the rear
bonnet and divides the large wrap-around rear window into two parts. Several
running prototypes were built during
1954 and 1955. The first prototypes did already look a
lot like the eventual production car, but small details were changed such as enlarging the rear windows, adding
more chrome, changing the side windows and removing the
lid that covered the rear wheels. The new car featured a
very stylish and extravagant aerodynamic body with a
coefficient of aerodynamic drag of 0,36. |
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<<<
Prototype of the T603 with fully closed rear wheel arches, a chrome stripe
on the front fender, a low chrome stripe running over the side from the front
wheel to the rear wrap-around bumper, wrap-around front and rear windows,
a split front
window and three headlights behind a single oval-shaped glass pane (1955) |
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<<<
Prototype of the T603 with fully closed rear wheel arches, a low chrome stripe running over the side from the front
wheel to the rear wrap-around bumper and wrap-around front and rear windows,
devided by a low rib running from the roof to the rear bonnet as a last
reminder of the tailfin, note that this prototype doesn't have the chrome
stripe on the front fenders (1955) |
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INTRODUCTION
OF THE TATRA T603 (1956-1963)
The Tatra T603 prototype was unveiled to the public
for the first time at the 1955 International six-day
Motorevent in Zlin. In general the press was very
enthusiastic about this entirely new car, and was
impressed that Tatra managed to launch a new car under
the pressing Communist regime. In 1956 the car was also
exhibited at the Internationale Messe in Brno where it
attracted a lot of attention. During the same year Tatra
built a pre-production run of 9 cars. Serial production
started in 1957 when the T603 was rolling out of the
factory at a speed of 2 cars a day. The cars were still
produced almost entirely by hand. One of these first cars
was presented to minister Vaclav Kopecky. Without his efforts maybe the
T603 would never have become a reality. The very first T603s still
featured a split windscreen and three headlights behind a single
oval-shaped glass pane. This was soon changed and replaced by a
three-piece glass pane. Although it was made from 2 cm thick re-inforced
glass, small stones launched into the air by car tyres, could brake the
glass. The split windscreen was soon replaced by a single-piece unit.
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<<< Production version of the
T603 with three headlights behind a three-piece glass pane, a single-piece
windscreen, half-open rear wheel arches, T603-logo displayed in chrome
above front wheels and ventilation through grille in front bonnet (1958) |
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Early promotional T603 cars
were often painted in various two-tone colour schemes, such as blue/white
and yellow/red, while production cars where mainly black, picture from
period advertising (1958) >>> |
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The nose of the
car housed a spacious luggage compartment, the two 6 V
batteries and the petrol tank which - on the first and second T603
series - was accesible through
the luggage compartment. The spare tyre had it's own
compartment located under the luggage compartment. To
access the spare tyre a lever in the luggage compartment
had to be pulled to open the lid in the car's bottom to
reveal the spare tyre.
The T603 engine used in the new T603 car was an air-cooled cast-aluminum V8-engine, mounted in the rear of the
car behind the rear swinging half axles. With an engine
capacity of 2545 cc and a power output of 70 kW (95 hp)
the T603 could achieve a top speed of 158 km/h. The big
aerodynamic body provided room for six people - including
the driver - who could travel in comfort due to the
all-round independent suspension and soft coil springs
front and back. Large windows front, sides and rear
provided a good view all-round, especially compared to
the rear view on the previous models.
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<<<
Updated model of the T603-1 with enlarged rear wheel arches and chrome
fins on the air-intake, picture from period advertising (1959) |
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GOLDEN RIBBON AWARD
Although Tatra
had managed to start production of new passenger car, the
T603 could not be bought by private customers. It was
only to be used the Communists officials and Presidents
of major factories in several Eastern-European countries
such as CzechoSlovakia and Eastern-Germany, Russia and even
Cuba. Around 1960 - when he declared his Communist intentions -
President Fidel Castro of Cuba was equipped with a white T603 with
airconditioning,
which he still owns today together with some Russian limousines. Only a handful of
T603s went to
Western countries to be used by the Czech embassies, or
were left behind in a Western country after an exhibition. Some of these cars were
later bought by private individuals to whom it was the
only option to buy a Tatra in a non-Communist country.
In 1958 Tatra had to make some necessary
improvements to the T603 on both the technique and
design. The rear wheel openings were enlarged, chrome
fins were placed on the air-intake, the door catchers
were changed, the petrol heater placed under the front
seats was improved and the ventilation openings in the
front were enlarged. In 1959 a white Tatra T603 was
awarded a Golden Ribbon in Wiesbaden, West Germany for
it's style, looks and elegance. In the following few
years nothing else was changed on the car, but in 1962
the T603F-engine was replaced by the T603G. The
T603G-engine had a shorter stroke of 70 mm, changing the
engine's capacity to 2472 cc, the compression ratio to
8.2:1 and the power output to 105 hp.
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<<<
The T603-2 replaced the T603-1 in 1963 and featured a newly designed metal
front
incorporating four headlights, a new front bonnet and a wider track,
picture from period advertising (1963) |
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INTRODUCTION
OF THE TATRA T603-2
(1963-1967)
The T603 was up to the next major changes
in 1963. In this year the T603 - whose total production
run had been 5992 cars - was followed by the T603-2. Since the
introduction of the T603-2 the first series T603 is indicated as the
T603-1. The
most striking feature on the T603-2 was the replacement
of the T603-1's distinctive 3-headlight front by a
4-headlight unit. Other changes were the enlargement of
the rear lights, changing the dashboard, widening the
front track from 1430 to 1480 mm and shortening the
turning circle from 14 to 11.5 m. Further changes were
done in 1966 to the noise isolation, changing the colour
of the steering wheel from white to black, installing the
removable padded top on the dashboard, new door handles,
removing the lid on the rear luggage compartment,
changing the chrome strips, fitting orange indicators
etc. |
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<<< In
1967 a new model of the T603-2 was introduced and featured a newly designed
wider front
incorporating four headlights and a new front bonnet,
picture from period advertising (1969) |
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INTRODUCTION
OF THE TATRA T603-2 (1967-1975)
Because of the 70-years Tatra celebrations in 1967
Tatra wanted to launch an entirely new model. Due to
their limited budget however they had to settle for yet
another re-stylement to the T603-2. The petrol tank was
enlarged from 52 to 60 litres and got a different place
and made it possible to fit an outer filler, the
windscreen was enlarged and the old 603G engine was
replaced by the improved 603H engine. In 1969 the T603-2
was equipped with Jablonec disc brakes, a changed front
and rear track, re-shaped bumpers and another change on
the headlight-unit. This time the entire unit was made
from polyester and the headlights were set further apart.
The 1969-model was actually named the T603-3, but because
of the expensive homoligation they soon changed this back
to T603-2. The T603 remained in production until 1975, with a few
more changes being made in 1974. During the 18 years of
series production - from 1957 to 1975 - a total of 20422 cars were
built. This figure also includes those cars that were
refitted with a new body and engine by the factory in the 1960s and
1970s.
Since as early as 1963 Tatra had been
looking at possible replacements for the T603. A few
prototypes had been built but none made it into production. In 1969 however the first prototypes emerged
of a new Tatra model that was to become the successor
to the T603. This new car - styled by the Italian coach builder Vignale
- was named
the Tatra T613.
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PRODUCTION
FIGURES TATRA T603
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YEAR |
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NUMBER |
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The
last of the streamlined teardrop-shaped Tatras, the third-series T603-2,
much of the early T603-1 extravagance had gone in favour of clean smooth
body lines
(1974) >>> |
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1955 |
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1 |
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1956 |
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9 |
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1957 |
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354 |
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1958 |
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576 |
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1959 |
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800 |
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1960 |
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1220 |
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1961 |
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1332 |
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1962 |
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1300 |
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1963 |
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520 |
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1964 |
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527 |
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1965 |
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705 |
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1966 |
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738 |
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1967 |
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800 |
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1968 |
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1217 |
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1969 |
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1500 |
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1970 |
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1451 |
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1971 |
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1649 |
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1972 |
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1671 |
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1973 |
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1664 |
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1974 |
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1514 |
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1975 |
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874 |
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TOTAL NUMBER |
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20422 |
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TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS TATRA T603 |
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TYPE OF CAR |
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TATRA T603-1 |
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TATRA T603-2 |
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TATRA T603-2 |
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TATRA T603-2 |
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Model year |
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1956 |
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1963 |
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1967 |
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1974 |
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Year of production |
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1956-1963 |
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1963-1967 |
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1967-1973 |
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1973-1975 |
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Number of cars sold |
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5992 |
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3290 |
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9152 |
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2388 |
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Type of engine |
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90º V8 petrol engine |
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90º V8 petrol engine |
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90º V8 petrol engine |
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90º V8 petrol engine |
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Engine cooling |
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air-cooled |
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air-cooled |
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air-cooled |
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air-cooled |
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Location of engine |
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rear |
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rear |
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rear |
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rear |
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Bore x stroke |
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75x72 mm
(T603F-engine)
75x70 (T603G-engine) |
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75x70 mm |
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75x70 mm |
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75x70 mm |
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Cylinder capacity |
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2545cc |
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2472cc |
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2472cc |
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2472cc |
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Compression ratio |
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6,5:1 |
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8,2:1 |
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8,2:1 |
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8,2:1 |
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Maximal revolutions |
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5000rpm |
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5000rpm |
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5000rpm |
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5000rpm |
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Maximum output |
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70kW (95hp) |
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78kW (105hp) |
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78kW (105hp) |
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78kW (105hp) |
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Maximum torque |
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158Nm @ 3000rpm |
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170Nm @
4000rpm |
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170Nm @
4000rpm |
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170Nm @
4000rpm |
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Valve gear |
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OHV |
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OHV |
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OHV |
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OHV |
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Valves: IO/EO |
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15° before
TDC, 50° before BDC |
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- |
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10° after
TDC, 25° before BDC |
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1° after
TDC, 34° before BDC |
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Valves: IC/EC |
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55° after
BDC, 20° after TDC |
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- |
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30° after
TDC, 25° before BDC |
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43° after
BDC, 11° after TDC |
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Valve clearance |
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0,10 mm
0,15 mm |
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0,10 mm
0,20 mm |
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0,10 mm
0,20 mm |
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0,15 mm
0,25 mm |
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Carburettor |
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2 * Jikov 30 SSOP twin-down
draft |
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2 * Jikov 30 SSOP twin-down
draft |
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2 * Jikov 30 SSOP twin-down
draft |
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2 * Jikov 30 SSOP twin-down
draft |
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Ignition |
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battery ignition |
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battery ignition |
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battery ignition |
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battery ignition |
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Firing order |
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1, 3, 6, 2, 7, 8, 4, 5 |
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1, 3, 6, 2, 7, 8, 4, 5 |
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1, 3, 6, 2, 7, 8, 4, 5 |
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1, 3, 6, 2, 7, 8, 4, 5 |
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Type of clutch |
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hydraulicly operated dry
one-plate clutch |
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hydraulicly operated dry
one-plate clutch |
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hydraulicly operated dry
one-plate clutch |
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hydraulicly operated dry
one-plate clutch |
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Gearbox |
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mechanical 4-speed |
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mechanical 4-speed |
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mechanical 4-speed |
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mechanical 4-speed |
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Number of gears |
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4 + Reverse |
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4 + Reverse |
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4 + Reverse |
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4 + Reverse |
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Synchronised gears |
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1, 2, 3, 4 |
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1, 2, 3, 4 |
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1, 2, 3, 4 |
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1, 2, 3, 4 |
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Gear ratio 1st |
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1 : 3,545 |
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1 : 3,545 |
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1 : 3,545 |
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1 : 3,545 |
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Gear ratio
2nd |
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1 : 2,266 |
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1 : 2,266 |
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1 : 2,266 |
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1 : 2,266 |
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Gear ratio 3rd |
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1 : 1,450 |
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1 : 1,450 |
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1 : 1,450 |
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1 : 1,450 |
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Gear ratio 4th |
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1 : 0,960 |
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1 : 0,960 |
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1 : 0,960 |
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1 : 0,960 |
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Gear ratio reverse |
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1 : 3,428 |
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1 : 3,428 |
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1 : 3,428 |
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1 : 3,428 |
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Final drive differential |
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1 : 4,1 |
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1 : 4,1 |
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1 : 4,1 |
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1 : 4,1 |
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Front axle |
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independent wheel suspension |
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independent wheel suspension
(single trailing arm type) |
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independent wheel suspension
(single trailing arm type) |
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independent wheel suspension
(single trailing arm type) |
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Rear axle |
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independent swinging half axles |
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independent swinging half axles |
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independent swinging half axles |
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independent swinging half axles |
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Front suspension |
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coil springs |
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coil springs |
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coil springs |
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coil springs |
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Rear suspension |
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coil springs |
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coil springs |
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coil springs |
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coil springs |
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Rim size: F/R |
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4,50x15" |
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4,50Ex15" |
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4,50Ex15" |
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4,50Ex15" |
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Tire size: F/R |
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6,70x15" Barum ES |
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6,70x15" Barum ES |
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6,70x15" |
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6,90/6,70x15" Barum ES |
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Petrol consumption |
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13l/100km |
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12,5l/100km |
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12,1l/100km |
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12,1l/100km |
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Petrol tank volume |
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50l |
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52l |
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52l |
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52l |
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Oil consumption |
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0,12l/100km |
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0,2l/100km |
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- |
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0,22l/100km |
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Oil tank volume |
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6,5l in engine |
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6,5l in engine |
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6,5l in engine |
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6,5l in engine |
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Brakes |
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hydraulic drum brakes on all 4
wheels |
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hydraulic drum brakes on all 4
wheels |
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hydraulic disc brakes on all 4
wheels |
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hydraulic disc brakes on all 4
wheels |
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Weight of car |
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1470kg |
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1470kg |
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1510kg |
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1470kg |
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Weight distribution
front/rear |
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880/1080kg |
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880/1080kg |
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880/1080kg |
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880/1080kg |
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Maximum load rating |
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490kg |
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490kg |
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450kg |
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450kg |
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Front track |
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1430mm |
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1485mm |
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1480mm |
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1400mm |
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Rear track |
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1400mm |
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1400mm |
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1430mm |
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1450mm |
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Wheelbase |
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2750mm |
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2750mm |
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2750mm |
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2750mm |
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Overall width |
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1910mm |
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1910mm |
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1910mm |
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1895mm |
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Overall length |
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5065mm |
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5065mm |
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5065mm |
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4995mm |
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Overall heigth |
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1530mm |
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1530mm |
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1530mm |
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1530mm |
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Road clearance |
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210mm |
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200mm |
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200mm |
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240mm |
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Turning circle diameter |
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14m |
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11m |
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11m |
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11,5m |
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Maximum speed |
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170km/h |
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160km/h |
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160km/h |
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160km/h |
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Maximum climbing ability |
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33% |
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33,8% |
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- |
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33,8% |
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Number of seats |
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6 |
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5 |
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5 |
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5 |
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Luggage space front |
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0,361m3 |
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0,361m3 |
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0,361m3 |
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0,361m3 |
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Luggage space
behind rear seats |
|
0,142m3 |
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0,142m3 |
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0,142m3 |
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0,142m3 |
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Body type |
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berline |
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berline |
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berline |
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berline |
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Body construction |
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monocoque |
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monocoque |
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monocoque |
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monocoque |
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T603-BASED RACING & SPORTS CARS |
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YEAR |
|
MODEL |
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BODY TYPE |
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ENGINE |
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STATUS |
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1950 |
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T607 |
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T603-engine with
twin-carburettors |
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in
Technické
Muzeum TATRA |
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1955 |
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JK2500 (constructed by
Julius Kubinsky) |
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two-door closed
sports coupe |
|
Tatra T603 Sport
V8-engine 2500 cc, 103 kW (140 hp) |
|
unknown |
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1956 |
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T605 |
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2-cylinder
T910-engine |
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in
Technické
Muzeum TATRA |
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1962 |
|
Delfín |
|
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4-cylinder engine
constructed from half a T603-engine |
|
in
Technické
Muzeum TATRA |
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1963 |
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T603-2 B5 |
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T603-2 body with
open rear wheel arches |
|
T603 |
|
unknown |
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1967 |
|
T603-2 B5 |
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T603-2 body with
open rear wheel arches |
|
T603 |
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in
Technické
Muzeum TATRA
and used by the Tatra
603 Team |
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<<<
T603-2 B5 (1963 model year) at the Nürburgring
in Germany for the Marathon de la Route (1966) |
|
T603-2 B5 (1967 model year)
as used by the Czech Tatra
603 Team in classic races (2004) >>> |
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DESIGN
DEPARTMENT BRATISLAVA
Apart from the model changes between 1956 and 1975 no different body
types were produced of the T603. The Tatra Design Department in Bratislava
did build several prototypes based on the T603, including the 1961 T603MB
minivan and the 1962 T603NP with a single cabin and low rear platform.
Both these vehicles were equipped with the T603-engine mounted in the rear
of the car. Under the Communist regime neither of these vehicles was
developed into a production car.
In the early 1960s - when the Tatra T603
had been in production for over 5 years - the Tatra Design Department in
Bratislava was also working on a possible successor to the T603 model. The
first prototype, the T603A, was presented in 1964. Technically the
T603A was based on the production version of the T603-2, which had just
been introduced the year before as the successor to the T603-1. The T603A
however featured a more
modern looking three-box saloon body - not unlike the Chevrolet Corvair
- with a wider four-headlight front, an outer petroltank-filler cap and a
single rear window. The T603A has very smooth lines and little chromework
or other decorative elements, especially when compared to the still quite
extravagant T603-2. Design features of the T603A were used for the
restyling of the T603-2 in 1967, such as the wider front, smoother lines
and outer petroltank-filling cap.
A second T603A prototype was built in 1965, this time an ambulance. This
car was very similar to the first T603A prototype, but with a two-box
ambulance bodywork. The T603A ambulance prototype is on display at the
Technické
Muzeum TATRA in Koprivnice. The T603A saloon prototype is in private
hands, although
extensively modified.
After the construction of the T603A
prototypes the Tatra Design Department in Bratislava continued with their
development of a successor to the T603-2 with the design of the T603X
series. In 1965 several body design were made and built into 1:1 mock-ups.
These include the T603X1 with a three-box saloon body, the T603X2 with a
three-box saloon body with an inclining rear window and the T603X3, T603X4
and T603X5 with a two-box saloon bodies. The T603X5 was finally built as a
prototype in 1966. Although the car looked very
modern - quite similar to the NSU RO80 - it was equipped with standard
mechanics of the T603-2 production car. The Tatra engineers did however
place the T603-engine on top of the rear axle, instead of behind the rear
axle as was the position in the T603. This
new engine position was favourable to the
roadholding, but ment a very poor accessibility of the engine. Combined
with dissapointing driving characteristics and the large contrast between
the dated mechanics and the modern body stopped the T603
X from becoming a production car.
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T603A (1964) |
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T603X5 (1966) >>> |
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TATRA
DESIGN DEPARTMENT BRATISLAVA: T603-BASED PROTOTYPES & 1:1 MOCK-UPS
(1961-1966) |
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YEAR |
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PROTOTYPE |
|
1:1 MOCK-UP |
|
BODY TYPE |
|
STATUS |
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1961 |
|
T603MB Mikrobus |
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minivan |
|
in Múzeum
Dopravy v Bratislava
|
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1962 |
|
T603NP |
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single cabin with
low rear platform |
|
unknown |
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1964 |
|
T603A |
|
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three-box saloon |
|
in private hands |
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1965 |
|
T603A Ambulance |
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wagon |
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in
Technické
Muzeum TATRA |
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T603X1 |
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three-box saloon |
|
unknown |
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T603X2 |
|
three-box saloon |
|
unknown |
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T603X4 |
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two-box saloon |
|
unknown |
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T603X5 |
|
two-box saloon |
|
unknown |
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1966 |
|
T603X5 |
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|
two-box saloon |
|
in
Technické
Muzeum TATRA |
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<<<<<< |
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>>>>>> |
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