Silly truckers? Or Honest Joes? Nashville museum advertises ‘appalling’ 50s Slovak wagon

A quirky museum needs a bit more room for its array of historic cars, trucks and motorcycles. So it is selling off part of its Slovak and Czech collection.

No argument there… we can all do with some more space can’t we. And what do we do? We have a garage sale.

And the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville is one BIG garage.

But is this really how to advertise your wares?

The museum says this about one of its Communist era vehicles: “This is not a vehicle for the casual driver. Performance is sluggish at best. As the driver sits right next to the engine, the heat and noise are appalling. Turning the steering wheel alone is a real workout.”

Well, to be honest they are talking about a 1950s Tatra T-805 and they’re only asking just over 4,000 euros for it.

The old 800 series consisted of ‘special purpose’ vehicles made for the military and building firms. And let’s face it nobody really cared about builders OR soldiers in mid-Europe in the 50s.

So, silly truckers then?

I say no!

More like Honest Joe, that thing as rare as a Kia Picanto that never breaks down – an honest car dealer!

I’d buy a Communist truck off them…

The Nashville-based Lane Motor Museum, opened in 2002, specialises in European vehicles. But now it wants to get rid of the Tatra 805, Aero 30, Tatra 613, and Tatra 75.

The Aero Roadster

The owner Jeff Lane said: “Some are in great condition, some are project cars, with others somewhere in between. We would like to provide others with the opportunity to revive, restore, and enjoy these cars, rather than consigning them to decades of dark, dusty storage.”

His collection includes Aero, Škoda, Tatra, Praga, Jawa and Velorex. Of them, four car models are now up for sale: Tatra 805, Aero 30, Tatra 613, and Tatra 75.

Also for sale is a Tatra model, 613. The company intended them for government officials in communist countries. This ‘limo’ is for sale for €10,000. More than 11,000 of the vehicles were produced from 1973 into the Nineties.

Tatra 613

An Aero 30, is for sale for $10,000 too. This car was produced between 1928 and 1947. The company initially produced planes.

So, it should fly out!

Jeff had been an automotive enthusiast since an childhood. He began restoring his first car -a 1955 MG TF—when he was in his teens.

His venue is one of the few museums in the US to specialise in European cars and is based at Sunbeam Bakery at 702 Murfreesboro Pike. The former bakery has a high ceiling, natural light, and hand-crafted brick and maple wood flooring. The architectural style complements the age of the cars represented.

#slovakia #czech #motormuseum #lanemotormuseum #tatra #1955MGTF #Aero #Škoda #Tatra #Praga #Velorex #Nashville

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Categorized as Media

By Leigh Banks

I am a journalist, writer and broadcaster ... lately I've been concentrating on music, I spent many years as a music critic and a travel writer ... I gave up my last editorship a while ago and started concentrating on my blog. I was also asked to join AirTV International as a co host of a new show called Postcard ...

3 comments

  1. Well, if you have nothing good to say about the product – then knock it and at least it will get some attention. I, as not a reader who is particularly interested in cars, felt bound to read on just for the fun of it. Regretfully, I won’t be buying.

  2. Ron Matviyak
    I loved the very different perspectives of Czechoslovak auto and truck makers, from my first encounter with a Tatra ‘Batmobile’ parked on a dark Prague street to the ungainly cross-country trucks that reminded me of the Mercedes Uni-MOG. I rented a Skoda in 1982 after years of driving my 4 cylinder, 96 HP Datsun Pickup – I had a Japanese hitch hiking tourist one day comment “ohh, Big Motor!”. Then I rented the Skoda in 1982 and discovered what driving an underpowered car was like! The ultimate in strange CS vehicles is the “Ferat Vampire RSR / Upír z Feratu” by Skoda in the film https://hooniverse.com/the-ferat-vampire-rsr-is-the…/

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