Praga Hostivar
Encyclopedia
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. In 2006, it was purchased by International Truck Alliance
Intrall
Intrall, or International Truck Alliance, is a Russo-British automotive company with headquarters in London, England, and manufacturing in Poland. At the end of 2003 the company acquired from Intrall Treasury factory of Daewoo Motor Poland in Lublin, then operating from January 2004 to 2007 years,...
.
History
Praga was founded in 1907 to build motor cars. as a venture between Frantisek Ringhoffer and the First Czech-Moravian Machine Factory. Ringhoffer only stayed for one year and in 1909 the trade name 'Praga' was adopted. One of its early models was built under licence from the Italian company of Isotta-FraschiniIsotta-Fraschini
Isotta Fraschini represents two Italian manufacturing companies which produce, respectively, marine engines and luxury goods. In the early 20th century it was famous worldwide as a luxury car manufacturer.-History:...
.
Praga also diversified into building engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
s and gearbox
Transmission (mechanics)
A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...
es for other applications such as aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
and tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s.
In 1929 Praga merged with ČKD
CKD
A knock-down kit is a kit containing the parts needed to assemble a product...
, one of Czechoslovakia's largest engineering companies.
In 1929 ČKD's BD motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
was re-branded under the Praga marque. This was an advanced four-stroke single-cylinder
Cylinder (engine)
A cylinder is the central working part of a reciprocating engine or pump, the space in which a piston travels. Multiple cylinders are commonly arranged side by side in a bank, or engine block, which is typically cast from aluminum or cast iron before receiving precision machine work...
unit construction
Unit construction
Unit construction is a term used to describe the design of larger motorcycles where the engine and gearbox components share a single casing. The term is sometimes applied to the design of automobile engines and was often loosely applied to motorcycles with rather different internal layouts such as...
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
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
frame
Motorcycle frame
A motorcycle frame includes the head tube that holds the front fork and allows it to pivot. Some motorcycles include the engine as a load-bearing, stressed member. The rear suspension is an integral component in the design. Traditionally frames have been steel, but titanium, aluminium, magnesium,...
. Praga ended production of both motorcycle models in 1933.
The factory was largely destroyed by air raid
Strategic bombing
Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in a total war with the goal of defeating an enemy nation-state by destroying its economic ability and public will to wage war rather than destroying its land or naval forces...
s in 1945. After the Second World War it was rebuilt and resumed truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
and bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
construction. In 2007 it produces gearboxes and hydraulic machinery.
The M53/59 Praga
M53/59 Praga
The M53/59 Praga is a Czechoslovak self-propelled anti-aircraft gun developed in the late 1950s. It consists of a heavily modified Praga V3S 6 wheel drive truck chassis, armed with a twin 30 mm AA autocannon mounted on the rear for which the vehicle typically carries 900 rounds of ammunition, each...
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.
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 medias, but the companys 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
- 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 V
- Praga N (1917)
- Praga A150
- Praga RN
- Praga RND -
- Praga RV (1935-1939) - 6x4
- Praga ND
- Praga V3S (1952-1989)
- Praga S5T an improved V3S
- Praga UV100 (prototyp 1985)
- Praga UV120 (prototyp 1985)
- Praga UV80 (od 1992)
Light TankLight tankA light tank is a tank variant initially designed for rapid movement, and now primarily employed in low-intensity conflict. Early light tanks were generally armed and armored similar to an armored car, but used tracks in order to provide better cross-country mobility.The light tank was a major...
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- Praga LT vz. 38 (od 1938) light tank in service with the German WehrmachtWehrmachtThe Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
as Panzer 38(t)Panzer 38(t)The Panzerkampfwagen 38 was originally a Czech tank of pre-World War II design. After Czechoslovakia was taken over by Germany, it was adopted by the German Army, seeing service in the invasions of Poland and Russia. Production ended in 1942, when its armament was deemed inadequate. In all, over... - Praga LTH export version of the LT to Switzerland where it was called the Panzerwagen 39.