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Praga - the Mercedes from the East

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Created on July 16, 1977

Text:

Vaclav Petrik

Photos:

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Praga Piccolo (1938) - in pairs

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Praga Alfa Sport (1933) - with a six-cylinder engine of 1795 cm3 and 38/43 hp - won the Czechoslovak 1000-mile race in 1933, with the winner and chief designer of the Praga works at the wheel

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Praga Piccolo Cabriolet (1934) - photographed in Brno

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Praga Piccolo Cabriolet (1933) - equipped with a four-cylinder engine with 995 cm3 and 22 hp, which was enough for a top speed of 70 km/h

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Praga Piccolo Cabriolet (1930) - with open roof

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Praga Super Piccolo Cabriolet (1935) - bodied according to Klenner patent, engine 1660 cm3 and 35 hp

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Praga Super Piccolo Cabriolet (1935) - with closed roof (according to patent Kellner)

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Praga Baby Cabriolet (1934) - convertible limousine with fixed door frames

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Praga Baby Cabriolet (1935) - elegant fresh air solution that was certainly also suitable for all-weather use

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Praga Baby panel van (1935) - as a delivery van without rear side windows

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Praga Baby (1935) - as a roadster/cabriolet with a four-cylinder engine with 995 cm3 and 22 hp

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Praga Piccolo (1939) - presented at the Motor Show

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Praga Lady (1939) - The chassis - decoratively presented at a car show

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Praga front suspension from the pre-war period

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Praga chassis around 1930

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Praga rear axle around 1930

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Praga Grand (1934) - stately saloon with eight-cylinder engine

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Praga Grand (1934) - feudal interior with plenty of leg and headroom

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Summary

When you think of the Czech Republic, car brands such as Tatra and Skoda come to mind, both manufacturers from the eastern country. The "Praga" brand, named after the capital, has a kind of shadowy existence, but it is in no way inferior to its compatriots. Praga cars enjoyed a reputation for combining durability and comfort. No wonder, then, that the brand was once so successful. This report sheds light on the history of this "capital city brand", showing the models in many pictures and also in a sound sample and video. This melange is complemented by the sales literature of the time.

This article contains the following chapters

Favorable prospects for an expensive price
Of chains and gimbals...
Licensed models from Renault
Beauty does not always sell well...
Loss of several hundred thousand crowns
Mignon and Hieronymus
The first successes
Archduke Franz Ferdinand is dead...
Best cars of their time - with a conservative line
Motorcycle production
Collapsing success figures
The "Czech Mercedes"

Estimated reading time: 8min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The Czech automotive industry is mostly represented by Skoda and Tatra. The many other car brands that existed in the country's eventful history before the Second World War have almost been forgotten. The largest and best-known manufacturer during this period was Praga, a once very popular and well-known brand. The "First Bohemian-Moravian Machine Factory", which had been manufacturing production equipment for sugar factories, iron bridges and boilers for steam engines and locomotives in Prague since 1871, decided at the beginning of the century to set up its own department for motor carriage construction.

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