In 1989 when we already had Tatra 805, 128, 141 and OT 810 we decided to gain also Tatra 111 to have the collection complete.
We were able to get Tatra 111 a cranetruck but without a superstructure that means only undercarriage with the cabin.

Those days it was possible to get the cranetruck or a tanktruck. But we wanted a platform or a tipper. Since we had the undercarriage and the cabin, we decided to get a chassis with a platform either for a platformtruck or for a tipper. It was a time of advertisements in the papers but unfortunately we weren't lucky...

Then in May 1991 we had an offer for Tatra 111 - a platform somewhere in the central Slovakia, around 280 km from us. We immediately replied and went to see it. It wasn't a platform as they said in the phone, but a threeside tipper in the condition you can see on the photo. Destroyed cabin, without any inner equipment, corroded, destroyed platform, each tire different, and people were taking pieces of the engine whenever and whatever they needed. We put heads together and decided to take Tatra home. How, we did not know then.

We convinced a friend who had Praga S5T to pull our Tatra home with his Praga. We covered the platform of his Praga so that the unequality of weight and size wouldn't attract anyone's attention. Praga weights 5 tons and Tatra 10 tons.

14 July 1991 late afternoon we set off with an intention to come home the next evening. Late evening we arrived at the place where Tatra was parked. Locals took away even the little that was there, including wheels. We were prepared for such situation and we brought with us 11 wheels on Praga. In the morning we put on wheels, lamps and put Tatra to Praga S5T. It went slowly but the owner of Praga was saying he had been carrying such and even heavier loads regularly. We knew him well and knew what he was capable of and so we believed him and his Praga S5T. After around 30 kms while crossing "Muranska planina" very tough and deserted mountain area, right in the steepest point and moreover in the turn the ventils on cylinders 5 and 6 loosened and fell into the engine. Result: destroyed two pistons, two cylinder liners, two heads of cylinders, 4 ventils. The engine was ready for a general repair at best and none of us wanted to think of the worst.
After approximately two hours a vehicle passing by was Tatra 815 and it took us, of course bit by bit, to a 2 kms distant parking place. In the mean time the night fell. We had to survive the night somehow and in the morning we would see. In the morning July 16, we decided to try to do impossible, that meant to repair Praga S5T and continue on our journey. I have to say here that Praga S5T that was towing our Tatra 111 had a Praga V3S engine. The owner of Praga S5T looked for some spares but those we needed weren't among them, well, such a repair isn't usually done on the road.
From Tatra 111 we took off two complete cylinders with pistons and two head of cylinders which are same as those of the engine of Praga V3S. After a repair which took us the rest of the day and the whole night we were able to start the engine at 4 a.m. Immediately we set off. The engine of Praga S5T worked as good as never - as the owner was saying. But central Slovakia is a mountain area and so we were "slinking" on 2 or 3 and even reduced.
The night was falling, we were coming to Bratislava and the lights of Praga went off. So we went through Bratislava in complete darkness. We wanted to be home as soon as we could and it was only 18 kms to our place. Since it's impossible to go without the lights two Tatra 613 vehicle of the rescue system Slovakia Alfa accompanied us. With a big delay we were home and had our Tatra 111. The most satisfied was the owner of Praga S5T because the engine with two cylinders from Tatra 111 was working for 6 years without any problem.

In winter 1991-92 we took Tatra apart, well, the cabin. From a tanktruck Tatra 111 from which we could save only some parts - we took the hood, wings and the fender. This Tatra had 450 kms on the road. In the nearby military compound they scrapped 12 of them. May they rest in peace. We couldn't save them those days and that system hasn't changed yet.

In spring 1992 we completed and put to work the engine which was - surprisingly - in a good condition. The repair of the undercarriage, brakes and steerage followed. Then we made a new platform and sides which we managed to do in a very short time as the date of the Tatra vehicles races in Koprivnice was approaching. Finally we put the paint on. We didn't want to use khaki so we decided for the silver. The year 1992 was also a 45th anniversary of the first journey of silver Tatra 87 of Mr. Zikmund and Hanzelka. The premiere of the vehicle was on the way to Koprivnice. It was also the first time when a veteran vehicle Tatra was at the races.

Another action where Tatra 111 was present was the "Smadny mnich rally" in 1997. The route went from Bratislava to Velky Saris which was 500 kms exactly there and back the same. Tatra of course made it without any problem and everywhere it arrived it attracted everyone's attention.

Since 1999 we regularly take part with Tatra 111 at Zahoracke piesky.