Tatra Museum, Koprivnice

The works at Koprivnice were founded in 1850 building horse-drawn carriages, added railway wagons in the 1880s and made their first car, the Prasident, in 1897, which makes Tatra one of the oldest vehicle makers still in business, often ranked third, though it has built only trucks since 1999. Its engineering was distinctive from the start: a central tubular backbone chassis with swing axles, patented by Hans Ledwinka in 1923 and used ever since, and from the 1930s a series of large rear-engined air-cooled streamlined saloons designed with Paul Jaray, of which the T77 and T87 were among the most aerodynamic cars of their era. Their handling at speed had a reputation - the rear weight bias made them unforgiving, and German officers were reportedly killed in enough of them during the war that the type acquired a nickname to that effect. The museum holds around sixty vehicles including these, the trucks, prototypes and racing cars from the Dakar.

What to look for

• The 1897 Prasident - the works' first car, in the collection.
• Backbone chassis and swing axles - Ledwinka's 1923 patent, used ever since.
• Streamlined rear-engined saloons - the T77 and T87 of the 1930s.
• Trucks and Dakar racers - the heavy vehicles the firm is now known for.

When to go

All year. Half a day.

What to expect

Closed Mondays. The factory itself is not open to visitors. The museum is technical in emphasis. Koprivnice is a working industrial town with little else for visitors.

Nearby

Stramberk is a few kilometres west; Pribor is north.