Details of Cars

Tatra 57: the compact “Hadimrška” and its successors

TATRA

1931 Tatra 57
A 1931 Tatra 57 with its closed-nose front. Photo by Addvisor, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The Tatra 57 was a series of two-door compact cars built by the Czechoslovak company Tatra from 1931. Popularly nicknamed “Hadimrška”, the model was updated as the 57A in 1936 and the 57B in 1938, and a military adaptation, the 57K Kübelwagen, appeared in 1941.

Tatra 57 at a glance

Tatra 57 key facts
Maker Tatra, Kopřivnice, Czechoslovakia
Production 1931–1949
Predecessor Tatra 12
Successor Tatra 600
Engine 1,155 cc OHV air-cooled flat four
Power 18 PS, 20 PS in the 57A
57B engine 1,256 cc, 25 PS
57K engine 1,256 cc, 23 PS
Fuel 8–10 litres per 100 km
Bodies four-seat saloon, four- and two-seat convertibles
57K built 5,415

History of the Tatra 57

Tatra 57

The Tatra type 57, introduced in 1931, succeeded the Tatra 12. Its styling continued the streamlined, closed-nose front of the Type 11 and Type 12. It had a 1,155 cc overhead-valve air-cooled flat-four engine producing 18 PS and used between eight and 10 litres of fuel per 100 km. Bodies offered were a four-seat saloon, a four-seat convertible and a two-seat convertible, all two-door. Every version had the characteristic Tatra backbone chassis, with the driveshaft running inside the central structural tube.

Tatra 57A in the Chlewiska museum
A Tatra 57A in the museum at Chlewiska. Photo by Jakub "Flyz1" Maciejewski, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Tatra 57A

In 1935 Tatra replaced the Type 57 with the 57A, changing to a more conventional open front grille. The 1,155 cc engine was increased to 20 PS, the body was restyled and given a radiator grille similar to the larger Tatra 75, and a commercial van version was offered. In 1937 a military version of the 57A with a fabric roof and doors was manufactured and exported to the Republic of China.

Tatra 57B and 57K

In 1938 the Type 57A gave way to the 57B, for which Tatra enlarged the engine to 1,256 cc and raised power to 25 PS. In 1941 came the 57K Kübelwagen, a four-door military convertible built to German specifications for the Wehrmacht and officially designated Leichter Personenkraftwagen (le. Pkw.) Tatra 57K. It had increased ground clearance and the 1,256 cc engine detuned to 23 PS. From 1941 to 1945 Tatra made 5,415 of the T 57 K, frequently used by Nazi police forces; production continued through 1947. Tatra ended production of the 57K in 1947 and of the 57B in 1949, after which it withdrew from compact cars and its smallest model became the two-litre Tatra 600.

Design and features

  • Backbone chassis: the driveshaft runs inside the central tube, as on other Tatras.
  • Air-cooled flat four: 1,155 cc at first, 1,256 cc in the 57B.
  • Closed-nose styling: the early 57 kept the streamlined front of the 11 and 12.
  • Kübelwagen version: a military four-door convertible with raised ground clearance.

Tatra 57 versions

  • Tatra 57: 1931 model with 18 PS and closed-nose front.
  • Tatra 57A: 1935 model with an open grille and 20 PS; also a van.
  • Tatra 57B: 1938 model with a 1,256 cc, 25 PS engine.
  • Tatra 57K: military Kübelwagen, 5,415 built.

The 57 succeeded the Tatra 12 and was eventually replaced by the Tatra 600. Its larger stablemate was the Tatra 75, and more cars are in the Tatra collection.

Video: 15F005 Tatra 57

Video by 15F005 on YouTube.

Sources

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