Präsident
| Nesselsdorf Präsident | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Nesselsdorfer Wagenbau-Fabriks-Gesellschaft now Tatra |
| Production | 1897 |
| Assembly | Nesselsdorf, Margraviate of Moravia, Cisleithania |
| Designer | Leopold Sviták, Hans Ledwinka, Edmund Rumpler |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | Phaeton |
| Layout | RR layout |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 2,714 cc (165.6 cu in), 120 mm × 120 mm (4.7 in × 4.7 in) bore/stroke, water cooled, flat-twin, flathead Benz |
| Power output | 6.5 bhp (4.8 kW) at 600 rpm |
| Transmission | 2-speed |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 1,780 mm (70 in) |
| Length | 3,225 mm (127.0 in) |
| Width | 1,472 mm (58.0 in) |
| Height | 2,290 mm (90 in) (with roof on) |
| Curb weight | 1,072 kg (2,363 lb) |
The Präsident was an automobile manufactured by the Nesselsdorfer Wagenbau-Fabriks-Gesellschaft (Nesselsdorf or NW), since 1919 Tatra, in 1897. It was the first practical, factory-produced petrol engine automobile built in Central and Eastern Europe (Siegfried Marcus's earlier cars were experimental and not practical). It was constructed by Leopold Sviták and Hans Ledwinka. The automobile was more of a carriage without horses than a car in modern sense. The car is steered via handlebars (while most of the cars of the era had a tiller). The wooden bodywork is placed on an iron frame. It has four seats and a convertible top that would cover only the rear seats. Both axles have suspension of semi-elliptical leaf springs. The wheels were similar to the ones of a horse carriage, but had rubber tyres. The car had a two cylinder spark ignition Benz engine placed by the rear axle.