Silly truckers? Or Honest Joes? When Nashville museum advertised ‘appalling’ 50s Slovak wagon
Who remembers these Communist ‘failures’?
A quirky museum needed a bit more room for its array of historic cars, trucks and motorcycles. So it tried selling off part of its Slovak and Czech collection.
Makes sense… we can all do with some more space can’t we. So, what do we do? We have a garage sale.
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And the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville is one BIG garage.
But is this really how to advertise your wares?
The museum said 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 were talking about a 1950s Tatra T-805 and they were 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, specialising in European vehicles. But recentlyit wanted to get rid of the Tatra 805, Aero 30, Tatra 613, and Tatra 75.
The collection included 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 was 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.
An Aero 30, was for sale for $10,000 too. This car was produced between 1928 and 1947. The company initially produced planes.
Jeff Lane has
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.
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