PRAGA Czech Republic

Praga 

 1930 Praga Alfa car

 An Austo-Hungarian Army Staff Car manufactured by Praga

Praga is a manufacturing company based in Prague, Czech Republic. In 2006, it was purchased by International Truck Alliance.

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 steelframe. 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. In 2007 it produces gearboxes and hydraulic machinery.

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 June 2011 the company unveiled at Dutch Supercar Challenge GT races in Belgium, 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 Ptacek will follow gradual steps, so new Praga cars were not seen only at racetracks, but we could meet them in traffic.

 Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun PV3S PLDVK vz. 53/59 – “Ještěrka” (“Lizard”). The chassis and the motor was produced in Praga.

Products

Automobiles

• Praga Mignon (od 1911)
• Praga Baby
• Praga Piccolo
• Praga Piccolo 1128
• Praga Super Piccolo
• Praga Lady
• Praga Alfa (1913-1942)
• Praga Golden
• Praga Grand 8 (od 1912) limousine
• Praga R4S

All Praga automobile production stopped by 1947, but was continued in 2011 when Praga constructed the R4S. It utilized a 3.2 liter V8 based on the Suzuki Hayabusa engine and produced 530 BHP, with a total weight of only 88 kilograms. The R4S have been well received throughout by the media, but the company’s choice to not utilize either CFD nor windtunnels has been criticiced. A neat feature on the R4S is the markings for camber and toe, which eliminates the need of advanced tools. Now, engineers know that a specific amount of “clicks” represents a certain degree of camber or toe.

Motorcycles

 1929 Praga BD motorcycle

• Praga BD 500 DOHC (1929-1933)
• Praga BC 350 OHC (1932-1933)
• Praga ED 250 (1999-2003) – enduro
• Praga ED 610 (2000-2003) – enduro

Praga Trucks

 Praga V3S truck

• Praga N (1915-1931) – 4 ton truck (4×2)
• Praga A150 (1947-1951) – 1.5 ton light truck (4×2)
• Praga RN (1933-1953) – 3 ton truck (4×2)
  • Praga RND (1934-1955) – modification of RN with diesel engine
• Praga RV (1935-1939) – 2 ton army truck (6×4)
• Praga ND (1938-?) – 7 ton heavy truck (4×2)
• Praga V3S (1952-1989) – 3 ton all-terrain truck (6×6)
• Praga S5T (1956-1974) – 5 ton truck (4×2)
• Praga UV100 (prototype 1985)
• Praga UV120 (prototype 1985)
• Praga UV80 (1992-2001) – multi-purpose medium truck (4×4)

Buses

• Praga NDO
• 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

 Panzer 38(t)Ausführung S in the German Panzermuseum in Munster.

• 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.