Praga 1910-1948 - Success with folk models
Summary
There were around 10,000 car brands and designers - most of them have disappeared. One of these vanished brands is Praga, which produced cars from 1910 to 1948. After producing models under license from other manufacturers, the company was successful with its own developments and even managed to reach a wider audience with the Piccolo model, even displacing Skoda from the top spot. The brand disappeared from the scene after the Second World War, when only commercial vehicles were produced.
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Przska Automobilova Tovarna = Prague Automobile Factory was founded in 1907 and designated its first cars with the company abbreviation PAT-PAF. Initially, the company built licensed models from Isotta Fraschini (luxury models) and Charron/Renault (with a 1.2-liter two-cylinder engine). But sales did not take off, even when the Praga brand was introduced in 1910. In 1911, Frantisek Kec, previously a designer at Laurin & Klement, became Praga's chief developer. Under his leadership, the Mignon and Grand passenger cars with 1.8-liter and 3.8-liter four-cylinder engines were created in addition to trucks. The Grand, already equipped with an electric starter, oil and petrol pump, immediately proved its worth on the Alpine tour of 1912 and paved the way for commercial success. In 1913, the range of vehicles was extended downwards with the 1.1-liter Alfa model.
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