The Tatra 17 is an automobile produced by the Czech manufacturer Tatra between 1925 and 1929. It was the company's top-end model, and was sold alongside the Tatra 12

economy car Economy car is a term mostly used in the United States for cars designed for low-cost purchase and operation. Typical economy cars are small (compact car, compact or subcompact car, subcompact), lightweight, and inexpensive to both produce and p ...

and the

Tatra 30 The Tatra 30 is an automobile formerly made by the Czech manufacturer Tatra. It was manufactured between 1926 and 1928. From 1928 to 1931 the car was fitted with a newer engine and is therefore called the Tatra 30/52. Design Engine Tatra 30 Th ...

executive car Executive car is a British term for a large car, and is considered equivalent to the European E-segment and American full-size classifications. Executive cars are larger than compact executive cars (and the non-luxury equivalent mid-size cars ...

Design

Engine

Originally the car was fitted with a liquid-cooled six-cylinder

OHC An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine in which the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustio ...

inline engine that produced . The block was made from silumin and the cylinder heads were made from

aluminium Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

. It was the first Tatra with an ignition battery. The maximum attainable speed of the car was . 205 Tatra 17 cars with this engine were produced before 25 September 1926. Some Tatra 17 cars were fitted with the engine designed for the more expensive . This engine was also a liquid-cooled six-cylinder OHC inline engine, but was a larger design that produced . These Tatra 17/31 cars had an increased top speed of . 250 Tatra 17/31 cars were produced. For a time, the Tatra 17/31 was manufactured alongside its successor, the Tatra 31, of which 300 vehicles were made.

Backbone tube

The Tatra 17 was the first luxury Tatra with a backbone tube, which had been successfully used in the low cost type

Tatra 11 The Tatra T11 is an automobile that was produced from 1923 through 1927. It was the first Tatra model to use backbone tube chassis, swinging half-axles and air-cooled engine, the development of which is still in use on the trucks produced by Tatr ...

. Unlike the Tatra 11, the Tatra 17 had independent suspension not only of the rear half axles, but also of the front axles. The car's driveshaft is inside the tube and the gear box and engine are mounted in the front of the tube, while the differential is in the rear.

Configurations

The Tatra 17 was produced in several configurations, including a two-seat roadster, and a six-seat limousine. A few Tatra 17 cars were built in a

fire engine A fire engine or fire truck (also spelled firetruck) is a vehicle, usually a specially designed or modified truck, that functions as a firefighting apparatus. The primary purposes of a fire engine include transporting firefighters and water to ...

configuration. One remains in "service" as an honorary fire engine in the fire department of Svatý Jan nad Malší. File:Ostrava (7234024490).jpg, Tatra 17 fire engine File:Tatra T17,30.jpg, Tatra 17/31 File:Tatra 17-31 Sport vet arena Olomouc 1.JPG, Tatra 17/31 Sport File:Tatra 17-31 Sport vet arena Olomouc 2.JPG, Tatra 17/31 Sport (front left side)

External links

Tatraportakl.sk - Tatra 17Tatra 17/31 Fire engine video
{{Tatra models 17 Cars introduced in 1925 Automobiles with backbone chassis Cars discontinued in 1929