THE BEST IN CZECH TECH
The National Technical Museum of the Czech Republic reveals much Eastern European expertise, cars included
PRAGUE IS ONE of those vanishing cities, still maintaining its old charm while gently moving up to date. Its cobbled streets are full of quaint shops selling Bohemian glass and Klimt prints. Its theatres are beautiful and inexpensive, while eating and drinking are reasonably priced in lovely old restaurants. One word of warning, though – if you partake of the wonderful Czech beer and say nothing, more beers will be delivered automatically until you tell the bar staff to stop!
Among the first things you will notice in Prague are the vintage and classic cars carrying visitors on city tours, all adding to the unique atmosphere of the place.
Another eye-opener is the huge Millennium Metronome, ticking away over the Vitava River. It’s just behind this that we find the National Technical Museum of the Czech Republic.
Opened in 1908, the museum is said to have been inspired by the London Science Museum. It holds excellent displays on mining, astronomy, photography, telecommunications and more, but we will be concentrating on the Transport Hall. This is one huge, galleried building with wonderful light, provided by a glazed roof. The light helps show off several suspended aircraft that can be viewed from several levels. Rare machinery here includes a Bleriot XI monoplane, a well-preserved World War One Knoller C11 and a unique Americanbuilt 1917 LWF Model V Tractor biplane, one of 25 sent from the United States for the flying squadron of the Czechoslovak legion that was battling with the Bolsheviks. There are a couple of Avias, built by a subsidiary of the Škoda car company, and a pair of stylish Zlins, world leaders of their time in piston-engined aircraft.
On the ground floor, a rakish red 1939 JAWA Minor coupé catches the eye, with an interesting 615cc two-stroke twin driving the front wheels.
Nearby, and looking less cheerful, is a 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540K, the information card reminding us of the story of Reinhard Heydrich’s assassination in Prague as he was driven in an open car. Adolf Hitler ordered the manufacture of 20 enclosed bulletproof cars for his top officers. Some older chassis were adapted, including the one on show.
The fine old NW Präsident of 1898 was the first factory-built car in the country, built by what was to become Tatra, while a real surprise is the 1910 Bugatti 13, which the museum says is one of the first five Bugattis built at Molsheim. Just this and one other of the five survive.
An original-looking 1931 Bugatti 51 sits next to a true jaw-dropper. Rudolf Caracciola’s Mercedes-Benz W154/M163 looks as if it has just been driven off a track, parked and forgotten. It is wonderful to see such an original, unmolested car, and people stand gazing at it for ages, no doubt filling their minds with images of the Silver Arrows in their heyday.
There are plenty of Tatras and examples of Praga, Wikov, Laurin & Klement and Z-4, along with foreign cars such as ZIS, Benz, de Dion, Serpollet, White and Audi. The floorspace is also shared with some mighty locomotives, so leave plenty of time for your visit. It’s a whole new world.
If you need even more, the Škoda factory and its museum are not far away at Mladá Boleslav. While in Prague, visits to the Heydrich Terror Memorial at St Cyril and the Methodius Cathedral are a must, if only to remind ourselves of man’s inhumanity. They are just along the road from two wobbly-looking buildings called ‘Fred and Ginger’, which lighten the mood.
NATIONAL TECHNICAL MUSEUM OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC Kosteini 42 170 78, Prague 7, Czech Republic Open: Tuesday to Sunday, 9am-6pm Admission: CZK 250 (about £8.60) www.ntm.cz www.pragueoldcar.com (classic car tours) www.museum.skoda-auto.cz (Škoda Museum)