Czechoslovakian Cars Living and Dying in Poland

Czechoslovakia is often overlooked in the WW2 conflict mostly due to its size. The location of this land-locked nation did not help things, with German controlled land on three sides. Before the war even began Germany easily annexed the western part of the country due to its large German population and appeasing attitudes of other western nations toward Germany. The country itself had a lot of problems with ethnic division and an unstable government, which itself operated in exile in London during the war. Things did not get better after the war, when the communist party took over. Like other eastern European nations, Czechoslovakia was virtually cut off from the rest of the world and became controlled by the USSR. In that time the country underwent a lot of anti-communist events and has been historically labeled as one of the more progressive Eastern European countries. In 1989 the Communist regime started to be overturned. Finally, on January 1st, 1993, the country peacefully split into Czech and Slovak Republics. Before and post war, and throughout the communist time, Czechoslovakia was an industrial nation and was always building cars. Tatra became the third automotive manufactured in the world and it still produces trucks. Skoda started producing guns and motorcycles decades before they made their first car in 1905. During the war almost all manufacturing facilities were ran by the Germans, producing equipment for the Axis forces. Like with others in this series, we will focus on post WW2 Czechoslovakian cars that are currently living and dying on the streets on Poland, all thanks to the readers of the Polish website zlomnik.pl. Be sure to check out the rest of the series: West German cars, East German Cars, Japanese cars, Italian cars, ‘Murican Cars, and French Cars all living and dying in Poland.

Skoda 105 or 110, I am not sure.

 Avia, predominantly an aircraft company, started manufacturing trucks after the war. Today it is a global truck and bus company.

This is a 1970s/1980s A20 model.

1980s or 1990s models.

Skoda 130, I think, judging by the taillights. They were all kind of similar looking.

Front hood opened on the side, like a piano. The engine was in the rear, a move supposedly directed by the Russians to make the vehicle less competitive with the Lada.

Tatra hi-rail truck.

Skoda 105. All rear-engined Skodas had swing axle rear suspensions, like certain amazing racecars.

I think those are donation boxes.

I’m pretty sure that this is a Skoda 100.

The one on the right is a Skoda Octavia. An Octavia coupe was my father’s first car. He told me that the front and rear windows are exactly the same, which kept costs low and came in handy when the front one broke and replacement was not easily obtained. Such as the time when he rolled his Octavia. Damn hoon!

Blacked-out chrome trim, for that modern look.

All original, mint condition, ran when parked.

Wut?

Note the rear foglights, this maybe one of the last ones made.

Skoda Garde coupe, later known as Rapid.

I think that’s a fuel tank door next to the headlight. I don’t know why the one above does not have it.

Engine performance was upgraded in later models dropping the 0-62mph (0-100kph) time to under 15 seconds.

Yes… an improvement, and yes, you read that right, 0-60mph in under 15 seconds.

I don’t think I have ever seen one in person.

Octavia wagon. Looks a little Nomad-ish, no?

Pic may have been taken outside of Poland.

My father’s first car was this, in white.

Tatra T900 700, produced until 1999, powered by an air-cooled rear-mounted OHC V8. Some say that Tatras were Eastern Bloc’s most luxuries vehicles, or at least best made.

Tatra truck, I think/hope.

Tatra began truck production before 1900. During the war, like all other manufacturing, it produced equipment for Germany. After the war it began producing what has come to known as the best Eastern European trucks, with wide military use.

In a testament to their excellence, Tatra trucks have won the grueling Dakar rally six times.

The company still makes trucks but its future is uncertain.