As a major Czechoslovak industrial concern, Ringhoffer-Tatra regularly responded to military contracts for the Czechoslovak armed forces. All the company's standard medium and heavy trucks were developed with an eye for military use. In 1935 the Czechoslovakian army placed a tender for a general purpose medium truck. Tatra's general purpose truck platform at that time was the T72 six-wheeled chassis, which had barely changed since the type was introduced in the late 1920s. The type was extremely robust, as proven by Dr Jiri Baum's world tour (including Australia) in 1934-35. https://tatrat600.blogspot.com/2020/09/across-australia-by-tatra-baum.html
The T72 chassis was updated and given a new and improved 2.5 litre flat-four air-cooled front-mounted engine. Both rear axles were driven via the trusty Tatra design principle of independently sprung half axles.
A new front cabin with a curved bonnet was fitted and various rear body styles were available, from standard 'kubel' or bucket-seat style to a flat load bed.
Factory photos
Factory photos
The Tatra T82 went into service with the Czechoslovakian military in 1936 where it saw use as a troop transporter, artillery tractor and anti-aircraft gun platform. As with all Tatra vehicles, production was slow, with only 325 units coming off the production line before the Sudetenland was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938. The factory was seized and nationalized by the Germans, being incorporated into the Industrialwerke Hermann Goering AG, which was responsible for all industrial concerns in the Greater Reich's eastern provinces. The first action of the new regime was stop all vehicle production and conduct a review of the factory. After a six months, Ringhoffer-Tatra was permitted to restart vehicle production for three vehicles types only - the Tatra T57 budget car, the Tatra T87 limousine and the Tatra T81 heavy truck. Along with all other models, the Tatra T82 military truck was withdrawn from production.
Tatra now turned their eye towards military contracts for the German Wehrmacht. A military version of the Tatra T57 sedan, designated the T57K (K for Kubel), was approved for Wehrmacht use. The type would serve in all theatres during the war and would go on to service with the Czech military until 1950.
https://tatrat600.blogspot.com/2022/09/1941-tatra-t57k-kubelwagen.html
The T82 had demonstrated its effectiveness in Czech military service so the Tatra team attempted to interest the German authorities in a version for the Wehrmacht. As Tatra's other production lines had been shut down, the 2.5 litre engine of the T82 was no longer available, so the 3 litre V8 engine of the Tatra T87 was substituted. The cab was modernized, reusing pressings from the T57K and the flat panel sides and doors used by German military vehicles, and this new version was presented as the V809 - V being the designation for experimental.
Factory photos
Regardless of how good the V809 may have been, the Wehrmacht's procurement policy was to license production of a small number of standardized German models; rather than introduce new models, especially from foreign plants. Only a handful of prototypes were built.
In 1941 Tatra again played for a military contract, this time with a 'commanderwagen' version of the V809 specifically for the Afrika Korps.
Described in the factory records as the "Rommel car", this version featured a steel hardtop body and was powered by the Tatra T87 V8 engine, mounted in the front. Erwin Rommel owned a Tatra T87 as his personal car so it's possible that Tatra was trying to enlist his the support to gain a production contract.
It is clear from the photos that this car was targeting the officer class. The fittings were luxurious for a military vehicle and included fully reclining seats so that the driver (and at least one passenger) could sleep in the car. This was an official requirement of all German military limousines.
Unfortunately, the 'Rommel car' failed to influence the Wehrmacht only a few examples were built for local use. The Tatra design team continued to work on new concepts throughout the war, but none of these were progressed, including the legendary 'aeroluge', which was designed for winter service on the eastern front.
The only successful development during the war was the Tatra T111 heavy truck, which went into production in 1942. The truck was the successor of the T81, but powered by a V12 air-cooled diesel engine. Germany mainly used petrol engines for military vehicles like tanks, but diesel was used for transport trucks. The Tatra T111 remained in production until 1962 and would become a legend of the reconstruction of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.
https://tatrat600.blogspot.com/2022/04/bios-final-report-1311-design-and.html
