"Prag, 18. Oktober 1935
Tatra-Werke
Automotive production sales branch
in Prague
I decided that this year I would spend my vacation with my family in France, traveling by car. For this purpose, I purchased your new Type 77 (8-cylinder, air-cooled). I only received the car a week before departure, so it wasn't yet broken in. Based on years of experience with Tatra vehicles, I embarked on this challenging trip abroad with complete confidence, even though the car wasn't yet broken in.
On June 26, 1935, we drove from Prague towards Pilsen and Nuremberg, until we reached Würzburg, where we spent the night. We covered 418 km that day. On the second day, we continued via Frankfurt, Mainz, and Trier. We spent the night in Luxembourg and covered 407 km that day. On the third day, we arrived in Paris during the heaviest traffic.
Crossing the main streets of Paris during the extremely heavy traffic allowed us to truly appreciate the advantages of this car. In third gear, we experienced very rapid acceleration in speed ranges from 5 to 70 km/h, allowing us to maintain our speed and acceleration with other vehicles. Second gear proved invaluable during frequent braking and acceleration, and I used it comfortably up to 40 km/h. This offered several advantages: the driver wasn't distracted by constant gear changes and could thus better control the speed from 0 to 40 km/h and beyond using the clutch and accelerator. This made it easy for us to navigate the main streets of Paris.
Wherever we went, whether in Germany or France, our vehicle attracted considerable curiosity and admiration. Whenever we stopped, we were immediately asked about its driving characteristics, engine, and fuel consumption. We mainly heard "très joli" and "très interessante." We also attracted the attention of customs officers at the border: they were all more interested in the engine and fuel consumption than in our luggage.
No matter where we arrived, whether in Germany or France, our vehicle always aroused great curiosity and admiration. From Paris, we continued west to the coast and then south. We visited almost all the spa towns: Deauville, Trouville, Saint-Malo, Royan, Arcachon, Mimizan, Bayonne, Biarritz, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, and Hendaye. Everywhere we went, we got the same questions: "What kind of vehicle is that? What make? What's its fuel consumption, power, and speed?" In short, we attracted respect everywhere we went, and everyone really liked our vehicle because of its shape, color, and interior. However, people found it hard to grasp that such a large vehicle didn't have water cooling.
Apart from the hills near the border and the inclines between Reims and Bernkastel, the journey wasn't too difficult. Crossing the Pyrenees, however, presented some challenges, inclines and many sharp bends. Thanks to the smooth steering and good seating position, the inclines and bends were easy to navigate. We overtook many water-cooled vehicles, which had to stop because their radiator water was boiling. In contrast, we in the Tatra were able to reach even the highest points without difficulty, albeit with a hot engine, but without stopping.
When we arrived in Lourdes, we attracted the attention of eight priests. They gathered around our vehicle in front of the hotel, and we had to show and explain everything. Their admiration and appreciation were boundless.
The journey continued on straight roads and through hilly landscapes to Riviera. The weather was very hot, and therefore the vent in the upper part of the windshield proved invaluable. This allowed pleasantly cool air to flow through the car. While this ventilation was very pleasant on the one hand, on the other hand, many insects flew into the car, including wasps. One wasp even stung my son on the leg while he was sitting at the wheel and steering. It would be better to equip all new vehicles with a protective net as standard.
After a four-day break, we topped up the oil by 2 liters and continued our journey along the Route des Alpes. At 8:00 a.m. in the intense heat, we set off from Juan-les-Pins towards Nice. Shortly before Nice, we turned into the Vars River valley and continued along the river, climbing gently to Pont de Gueydan (542 m above sea level). From there, we tackled a steep climb over the Col de la Coyolle mountain pass (2,326 m above sea level). We left the coast in the sweltering heat. Only at the summit of the Col de la Coyolle were we able to cool off on the snowfields, which also did our vehicle good. That day we covered 283 km. We left the sea behind and crossed three mountain passes at altitudes of 2,326 m, 2,114 m, and 1,600 m.
The next day, we drove from Briançon towards the Col du Lautaret and the Col Calibier (2,645 m). We climbed 1,324 m in altitude. On the steepest section, we overtook an American vehicle. It had to stop, and the occupants hiked to the summit. We really appreciated the advantages of our air-cooled engine and the flexibility of the 8 cylinders.
At every pass, including the Col du Calibier, all the vehicles stopped for a break. This allowed the vehicles to cool down and their coolant to be replenished and gave the occupants the opportunity to enjoy the stunning views. We stopped as well, not to cool down the engine, but to admire the Alpine scenery.
All the attention there was focused on our vehicle. The tourists ignored the beautiful landscape and gathered around our 8-cylinder engine. We had to open the hood, show them the engine, and explain everything. Overall, our car received a lot of praise for its design, color, and features.
On our way to Lake Geneva, we tackled three more mountain passes. This allowed us to cross Switzerland in one day, reaching a maximum altitude of 1,600 meters.
The last leg of the journey was the longest. We drove from Bludenz over the Arlberg Pass, then on via Landeck, Innsbruck, Salzburg, and Linz to Prague. This route was 730 km long and took 17 hours, including stops for refueling and breaks. Along the way, we crossed the Arlberg Pass at an altitude of 1,802 m. Considering that this journey took us along Alpine roads, some of which are still in very poor condition in Austria, this is an admirable achievement by both the vehicle and the driver. The fact that a single driver was able to complete the entire journey without fatigue is due to the excellent qualities of the vehicle. Shifting gears isn't necessary very often, and the steering is very light and doesn't strain the hands.
Thanks to the good suspension, the passengers were also able to travel the long distance comfortably. The car remained very stable even on poor roads. The car handles very well in curves and at higher speeds, which allowed us to drive very quickly through mountain bends. Thanks to the light steering, even the sharpest bends could be navigated quickly, despite the vehicle's unusual length. Excellent brakes ensured safe driving on steep mountain roads and in busy towns.
The superb headlights allowed for the same driving speed at night as during the day. The ability to control the light intensity with a foot pedal significantly facilitates steering and driving.
I would also like to mention that we didn't experience a single flat tire during the entire 5,365 km journey. We drove on both good and bad roads and never had to change a tire. Perhaps this was just luck, or perhaps it's a characteristic of the vehicle.
Operating Data
As you can see from my report, my family and I took a holiday trip in our 8-cylinder Tatra car from Prague, via Nuremberg, Frankfurt, Luxembourg, Reims, Paris, Deauville, Les Sables, Bordeaux, Biarritz, Hendaye, across the Pyrenees to the French Riviera. After that, driving through the French Alps, Switzerland, and Austria back to Prague, I covered a total of 5,365 km and used 690 liters of gasoline. The average consumption was 12.86 liters per 100 km. Considering the challenging mountain roads, this consumption is very low. I picked up the vehicle directly from the factory, so it wasn't yet broken in, which is why I didn't drive faster than 60-75 km/h. I changed the oil after 2,000 km and added another 6 liters of oil during the entire trip, including for the central lubrication system.
There was no need to repair the hydraulic brakes or top up the brake fluid. So, maintaining the hydraulic brakes for the entire 5,300 km cost not a minute of repair time or a single penny.
All the vehicle's electrical systems also worked flawlessly, including the ignition. It functioned perfectly, even though we switched off the engine on the downhill sections. The spark plugs weren't oily, which is something you can usually notice when restarting. The engine started immediately without the slightest hesitation.
Technical Remarks
During difficult uphill climbs, where you mostly had to drive in second or first gear, the engine got very hot, and I noticed that its performance dropped significantly.
The engine speed dropped rapidly. At the same time, we smelled benzene in the vehicle. We stopped to investigate the cause and why the engine's performance was declining so drastically. With the engine very hot, starting was also difficult; it was hard to start. After further investigation into the causes of these problems, I discovered that when the engine overheated, the fuel pump leading to the carburetor also became very hot. The heat from the engine block caused the fuel in the pump to almost boil. This isn't unusual, however, considering that the boiling point of fuel is 80 degrees Celsius. Furthermore, at higher altitudes, the air pressure is lower, causing the liquid to boil sooner.
The pump then had to pump almost completely evaporated liquid, a mixture of liquid and vapor. In such cases, the performance of any pump drops very rapidly.
The next problem, the fuel smell inside the vehicle, is also easily explained: Fuel is drawn from the gasoline tank (located at the front of the car) via a separate (sloping) line. The copper fuel line in the engine block area runs close to the exhaust pipe, as does the pump cover. This pump cover is directly connected to the engine block and is just as hot as the block itself, thus heating the fuel line considerably. This causes vapor bubbles to form in the fuel line, most frequently near the pump and exhaust pipe.
When the car is driving uphill, this fuel line is angled, and the air bubbles (from vapor) rise and enter the tank. The gases escape through the vent hole and enter the car, causing the unpleasant odor. On level roads, no smell developed—even though the engine was just as hot—only on inclines. In my opinion, these problems can be easily remedied with various improvements.
1) The engine area gets very hot, due to the two exhaust manifolds and the muffler directly beneath the engine block. Insulating the two manifold pipes, ideally with a double-walled insulator whose outer layer is exposed to the outside air, should suffice. The sheet metal base above the muffler should be insulated with asbestos. This will allow the fans to draw in cool air, improving engine cooling.
2) The fuel pump should be thermally decoupled from the engine block whenever possible, perhaps by using a thicker Pertinax insert between the engine block and the pump. This will, however, require a longer drive shaft for the pump.
3) The fuel supply line to the pump can also be protected from excessive heat by insulating the supply line or by increasing its distance from the hot spots.
Finally, I recommend adjusting the clutch mechanism as the foot pedal travel is less than ideal, making quick shifting quite difficult.
I am convinced that eliminating the defects I have mentioned on the difficult routes will greatly benefit the vehicle and lead to general satisfaction with this car.
Ing. Blazej Klima
Director, Central Czech District Electricity Company Association
Prague"
The Tatra T77 was a very exclusive vehicle, only affordable by the most well-to-do. In 1935, Tatra wrote to all owners of the T77 to gather their observations. Many owners replied and provided useful feedback. One of the most descriptive response came from Ing. Blazej Klimia, director of the Czech Electrical Company.
This story in German in Michael Schlenger's excellent pre-war car blog: https://vorkriegs-klassiker-rundschau.blog/2022/05/07/prima-klima-auf-urlaubsreise-im-tatra-77/
Photos and the copy of Ing. Klima's letter belong to Privatarchiv M.H./ Österreichischer Tatra-Sammler
Capt. Fitzmaurice's letter: https://tatrat600.blogspot.com/2024/10/tatra-t77-at-1935-rac-endersley-rally.html
1934 Owners letter: https://tatrat600.blogspot.com/2025/06/1934-tatra-t77-owners-review.html
Collected letters: https://tatrat600.blogspot.com/2022/04/tatra-t77-collected-customer-letters.html
