The Praga Grand was a luxury automobile built by Praga in Libeň, Prague, from 1912 to 1932. The second car of the firm’s own design, it was created by chief designer František Kec as a more luxurious complement to the Mignon, and in its eight-cylinder form of 1927 it became the official state car of Czechoslovak President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk.
Praga Grand at a glance
| Maker | Praga, Prague-Libeň |
|---|---|
| Production | 1912–1932 |
| Designer | František Kec |
| Engine, 1912 | 3,824 cc four, 44 hp |
| Chassis wheelbase, 1912 | 3.3 m |
| Weight, 1912 | chassis 1,130 kg, six-seat body 2,150 kg |
| Engine, 1927 | eight cylinders, 54 hp |
| Top speed, 1927 | 100 km/h |
| Engine, 1929 | 3,580 cc, 59 hp (17/60 HP), then 4,429 cc, 89 hp |
| Price, 1925 | 89,000 Kč basic, 115,000 phaeton, 135,000 limousine |
| Built | 1,196 (897 four-cylinder, 299 eight-cylinder) |
History of the Praga Grand
The Grand was the second car produced by Praga and was designed by František Kec with a separate rectangular frame chassis to which different bodies could be fitted. Its four-cylinder 3,824 cc engine produced 44 hp and had an electric starter; the same engine went into Praga’s first tractors. Three prototypes entered an alpine race in 1912 and took the top three places, which secured orders from the Austro-Hungarian Army, where the Grand served as a staff car and ambulance throughout the First World War. 335 were built before 1918, and nearly four hundred more were sold between 1919 and 1926.
In September 1927 the design was upgraded with an eight-cylinder engine of 54 hp that gave a smoother and calmer ride. The car gained a dashboard speedometer with trip meter, a clock, a fuel gauge, electric indicators and hydraulic brakes, reached 100 km/h and used 16–20 litres per 100 km. An even larger engine arrived in 1929: the bore grew from 70 to 72 mm, displacement to 3,580 cc and power to 59 hp in the model known as the 17/60 HP. It was soon replaced by a 4,429 cc eight with 80 mm bore and 110 mm stroke producing 89 hp, and at the same time the firm introduced its first seven-seat body.
After the creation of Czechoslovakia the Grand became the car of choice for President Masaryk, and the 1927 eight-cylinder version earned it the nickname of the Rolls-Royce of Czechoslovakia. In 1935 the model received its ultimate development for luxury use: on a chassis with a 3.6 m wheelbase and the 89 hp engine Praga mounted a body 5.7 m long, of which only a handful were made. The last example used as a presidential carriage was a 1935 limousine presented to Masaryk by his successor Edvard Beneš. Sales of the Grand collapsed in the Depression and production was stopped in 1932, the firm returning to the luxury class only in 1935 with the Golden. In all 1,196 Grands were built, 897 with four-cylinder and 299 with eight-cylinder engines; the type was also assembled in Hungary as the Rába Grand, and its chassis served for fire engines and ambulances.
Design and features
- Separate chassis: a rectangular frame that took limousine, phaeton, ambulance and fire-engine bodies.
- Eight-cylinder smoothness from 1927: 54 hp, 100 km/h and a dashboard full of instruments.
- State car: the official vehicle of President Masaryk and a favourite of the Czechoslovak elite.
- Racing and trial record: a one-two-three in an alpine race in 1912 and success in post-war alpine events.
Praga Grand versions
- Grand four-cylinder (1912–1927): 3,824 cc, 44 hp, 3.3 m wheelbase.
- Grand eight (1927–1929): 54 hp, 100 km/h, hydraulic brakes and electric indicators.
- Grand 17/60 HP (1929): 3,580 cc and 59 hp.
- Grand 4,429 cc: 89 hp eight, and the first seven-seat body.
- Grand 1935: 3.6 m wheelbase chassis with a 5.7 m luxury body, built in handfuls.
- Rába Grand: licence assembly in Hungary before and after the First World War.
The Grand was the luxury companion of the Praga Mignon and Praga Alfa, and its place at the top of the range was taken in 1935 by the Praga Golden. More cars are in the Praga collection.
Sources
- Praga Grand, English Wikipedia: development, engines, service, production
- Praga Grand, Czech Wikipedia: racing history, Czech production, body styles
