Praga (company)
 | |
| Company type | Společnost s ručením omezeným |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1907 |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | cars, karts, planes |
| Parent | PRAGA-Export s.r.o. |
| Website | pragaglobal.com |
Praga is a manufacturing company based in Prague, Czech Republic. The company produced automobiles, karts and planes. Praga V3S was used by the Czechoslovak Army for more than half a century.[1]
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History
Praga was founded in 1907 to build motor cars as a venture between entrepreneur František Ringhoffer and the company 1. českomoravská továrna na stroje ("First Bohemian-Moravian Machine Works", later a founding part of the ČKD factories). Ringhoffer only stayed for one year and in 1909 the trade name Praga ("Prague" in Latin) was adopted. One of its early models was built under licence from the Italian company of Isotta Fraschini.
Praga also diversified into building engines and gearboxes for other applications such as aircraft and tanks.
In 1929 Praga merged with ČKD, one of Czechoslovakia's largest engineering companies.
In 1929 ČKD's BD motorcycle was re-branded under the Praga marque. This was an advanced four-stroke single-cylinder unit construction double overhead camshaft model of 500cc designed in 1927 by JF Koch. The "BD" designation was retained as its model name.
In 1932 Praga added a second motorcycle model, the BC. This had a single overhead camshaft engine of 350cc, shaft drive and a pressed steel frame. Praga ended production of both motorcycle models in 1933.
The factory was largely destroyed by air raids in 1945. After the Second World War it was rebuilt and resumed truck and bus construction. The firm was nationalized in October 1945. Passenger cars (only the mid-sized Lady) were also manufactured in small numbers until 1947, for use by government officials.
The M53/59 Praga was a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun developed in the late 1950s. It consists of a heavily modified Praga V3S 6 wheel drive truck chassis and twin 30 mm AA autocannon.
In 2006, Praga was purchased by British International Truck Alliance with the intention to produce trucks with the name of Praga in Lublin, Poland.[citation needed] In 2007 it produces gearboxes and hydraulic machinery.
In June 2011 the company unveiled at Dutch Supercar Challenge in Belgium, the new car Praga R4 with eight-cylinder engine of 520 hp, which has not been so far homologated for normal road traffic. According to company owner Petr Ptáček, there will follow gradual steps, so new Praga cars will not be seen only at racetracks, but we could meet them in normal traffic.[2]
In 2016, the company plans first deliveries of supersport road cars Praga R1R, in a limited edition of 68 cars. It will be the first road car of Praga since 1947.[3]
Products
Automobiles
- Praga Mignon (1911-1929)
- Praga Grand (1912–1932) - limousine
- Praga Alfa (1913–1942)
- Praga Baby (1934–1937)
- Praga Piccolo (1924–1941)[4]
- Praga Super Piccolo (1934–1936)
- Praga Golden (1934–1935)
- Praga Lady (1935–1947)
All Praga automobile production stopped by 1947, but was restarted in 2011 when Praga constructed the R4S. It utilizes a 3.2 liter V8 based on the Suzuki Hayabusa engine and produces 530 BHP, with a total weight of only 88 kilograms. A feature on the R4S are the markings for camber and toe, which eliminates the need of advanced tools, with a specific amount of "clicks" representing a certain degree of camber or toe.
Motorcycles
- Praga BD 500 DOHC (1929-1933)
- Praga BC 350 OHC (1932-1933)
- Praga ED 250 (1999-2003) - enduro
- Praga ED 610 (2000-2003) - enduro
An army staff car, Praga Mignon
Praga Trucks
- Praga N (1915-1931) - 4 ton truck (4x2)
- Praga TN - a base for Romanian ČKD TN SPE armoured car (8 built)
- Praga A150 (1947-1951) - 1.5 ton light truck (4x2)
- Praga RN (1933-1953) - 3 ton truck (4x2)
- Praga RND (1934-1955) - modification of RN with diesel engine
- Praga RV (1935-1939) - 2 ton army truck (6x4)
- Praga ND (1938-?) - 7 ton heavy truck (4x2)
- Praga V3S (1953-1990) - 3 ton all-terrain truck (6x6), produced around 130,000 units
- Praga S5T (1956-1974) - 5 ton truck (4x2)
- Praga UV100 (prototype 1985)
- Praga UV120 (prototype 1985)
- Praga UV80 (1992-2001) - multi-purpose medium truck (4x4)
Buses
- Praga NDO (1938-1948)
- Praga RN and RND
- Praga A150 - autobus version of the A150 truck
Trolleybuses
- Praga TOT
- Unrealized projects: Praga TNT and Praga TB 2
Light Tank
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- Praga LT vz. 38 (od 1938) light tank in service with the German Wehrmacht as Panzer 38(t)
- Praga LTH export version of the LT to Switzerland where it was called the Panzerwagen 39.
Aircraft
Artillery tractors
- Praga T-3 (1935-1941)
- Praga T-4 (1935-1939)
- Praga T-6 (1937-1944)
- Praga T-7 (1937-?)
- Praga T-9 (1937-1943)
References
- ^ Nesmrtelná babička vejtřaska slaví šedesátiny
- ^ "Praga se vrací na silnice". Byznys.ihned.cz. 2011-06-28. Retrieved 2012-04-06.
- ^ "Praga R1R". Pragaglobal.com. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
- ^ Apral, K. "PRAGA 1930". www.classiccarcatalogue.com. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
- ^ "Nesmrtelná babička vejtřaska slaví šedesátiny". iDNES.cz. 2 April 2013.
- ^ VZ.53/59 JEŠTĚRKA (in Czech)
- ^ PV3S PldvK vz. 53/59 - JEŠTĚRKA (in Czech)
External links
- Automotive transmission makers
- Manufacturing companies based in Prague
- Aircraft engine manufacturers of the Czech Republic
- Czech brands
- Companies of Czechoslovakia
- Car manufacturers of the Czech Republic
- Bus manufacturers of the Czech Republic
- Luxury motor vehicle manufacturers
- Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1907
- Motor vehicle manufacturers of Czechoslovakia
- Motorcycle manufacturers of Czechoslovakia