The Tatra 70 is a Czechoslovak luxury car made by Tatra at Kopřivnice from 1931 to 1937. It succeeded the Tatra 31 and was launched in the same year as the Tatra 80, the two cars sharing a backbone chassis and swing-axle suspension but differing in their engines.
Tatra 70 at a glance
| Maker | Tatra, Kopřivnice, Czechoslovakia |
|---|---|
| Production | 1931–1937 |
| Predecessor | Tatra 31 |
| Engine | water-cooled 3,406 cc six, OHC |
| Power | 65 hp (48 kW) |
| Clutch and gearbox | multi-plate dry clutch, four speeds |
| Top speed | 110 km/h |
| Weight | about 2,400 kg |
| Production to April 1932 | 50 cars |
| 70A engine | 3,845 cc, 70 hp |
| 70A top speed | 130 km/h |
| 70A production | 70 cars by August 1936 |
History of the Tatra 70
Model and design
The Tatra 70 was launched in 1931, the same year as the Tatra 80, and the two models share a backbone chassis and swing-axle suspension. The front wheels have a rigid axle with overhead transverse leaf springs, and the rear wheels sit on a swing axle with half transverse leaf springs. The Type 70 has disc wheels, while the Type 80 has wire wheels.
The decisive difference is the engine. The Type 80 received a 5,990 cc, 65-degree V12 sidevalve unit, but the Type 70 has a water-cooled 3,406 cc overhead-camshaft six-cylinder engine producing 65 hp (48 kW), with the camshaft driven by a bevel. Transmission is through a multi-plate dry clutch and a four-speed gearbox to the rear wheels. The car weighs about 2,400 kg and reaches 110 km/h.
Bodies and production
The model was offered with a choice of bodies including a four-seat sedan, a two-door coupé, a four-door convertible and a six-seat limousine; a fire-engine version was also built. Total production of the Tatra 70 was 50 cars by 27 April 1932.
Tatra 70A
In 1934 the Tatra 70A replaced the 70. Its engine and transmission were derived from the Type 70, but capacity was increased to 3,845 cc, raising performance to 70 hp (52 kW) and the top speed to 130 km/h. The revised car weighed 2,450 kg and 70 were built by 28 August 1936. Production ceased in 1937, although after the Second World War Tatra built one Tatra 70 from spare parts and supplied it on 23 May 1947 to President Edvard Beneš.
Design and features
- Six-cylinder OHC engine: water-cooled and smoother than the V12 of the Tatra 80.
- Backbone chassis: shared with the Tatra 80, with swing axles at the rear.
- Coachbuilt bodies: sedan, coupé, convertible, limousine and even a fire engine.
- Presidential survivor: one postwar car built from spares for President Beneš.
Tatra 70 versions
- Tatra 70: 3,406 cc, 65 hp, 110 km/h.
- Tatra 70A: 3,845 cc, 70 hp, 130 km/h.
- Four-seat sedan and two-door coupé: closed bodies.
- Four-door convertible and six-seat limousine: open and long-wheelbase styles.
- Fire engine: a special body on the 70 chassis.
The 70 was the six-cylinder sister of the V12 Tatra 80, and its luxury role was later taken by the Tatra 87. More pre-war cars are in the Tatra collection.
Sources
- Tatra 70, English Wikipedia: design, engine, bodies, production
