In 1977, our very first truck Tatra 43/52. We found it in Myjava, at its first owner's. The old man had it since it was new until 1948, when it was nationalized. He was allowed to drive it and many years later, after it "retired", he bought it back.

He had driven it for a few years, until the end of the 60s and then he parked it in the barn where we found it in 1977.

The old man wouldn't sell it at first - the Tatra was his life, but finally came to an agreement.
We pushed the Tatra out of the barn, started it and drove it up to the trailer. It was a sad good bye - not with us - for the man and the Tatra, but everything was fine in the end. The only way how to move it was with a Zetor, farm tractor; in those days there weren't so many possibilities.

The Zetor came from 80 kms away taking 3 hours at a crazy fast speed.

The journey back took us 4 hours... well, the Zetor is not a Tatra. Its engine is cooled by water which often ran out.

Without any major problems we got home, parked the Tatra in our yard. We moved it under roof and in winter 1977/78 we started the renovation.

Everything began here actually...