The year 2026 is very special for Tatra Trucks in terms of its sporting history. It marks 40 years since Tatra vehicles first lined up at the start of the Paris–Dakar Rally, one of the most demanding and legendary motorsport events in the world. The company intends to celebrate this significant anniversary during the Kopřivnice Days of Technology, held in May this year, where a number of legendary Tatra racing specials will gather at its invitation together with their owners.
On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the first participation of its vehicles in the Dakar Rally, Tatra Trucks is preparing a reunion of racing specials that have taken part, are taking part, or will take part in legendary long-distance competitions, whether the original Paris–Dakar Rally or the current Dakar Rally. The reunion will take place as part of the Kopřivnice Days of Technology 2026 on 30 and 31 May at the Tatra plant in Kopřivnice.
The Kopřivnice Days of Technology are a traditional public event during which visitors can explore not only the latest vehicles produced by Tatra Trucks but also other interesting equipment used, for example, by firefighters or the Czech Army. This year’s edition will be enriched by a so-called Dakar Zone, where, alongside vehicles from the collections of the Tatra Truck Museum, additional historic and modern vehicles closely associated with competitions bearing the name of the city of Dakar will be presented to the public. As part of the reunion, visitors will have the opportunity to meet legends who sat behind the wheel of racing Tatras, as well as personalities who designed, built, or prepared them for competition.
The entire event will also serve as a retrospective of the T 815 model range, which for four decades was one of the main pillars of production at the oldest Czech automotive manufacturer. Production of the T 815 series ended exactly one year ago, on 25 February 2025, and it was precisely this model line that became a symbol of Tatra’s success in the Dakar competitions. As part of the celebrations marking 40 years of participation in the Dakar rallies, Tatra Trucks has also prepared a range of themed promotional and commemorative materials, items, stylish clothing, and accessories for fans of Tatra vehicles and long-distance rally competitions, which will be available to visitors of the Kopřivnice Days of Technology as well as on the official Tatra Trucks e-shop.
Tatras at Dakar – the Dakar history of racing specials from the Kopřivnice manufacturer
The origins of the Dakar Rally date back to the turn of 1978 and 1979, when the inaugural edition set off on the route from Paris to Dakar, with competitors having to cover a 10,000-kilometre course. Following the great response, the event was repeated the following year, and over time the rally became a tradition watched by millions of people around the world. From a Czech perspective, the breakthrough years were 1985, when Liaz 100 series trucks first appeared at the start, and 1986, when Tatra trucks of the T 815 model range entered for the first time. Two Tatra six-wheel-drive trucks performed exceptionally well. Had it not been for circumstances beyond their control and organizational chaos in the final stages of that year, they would have achieved excellent results (they were in 2nd and 8th place before the final stage). Until then unknown at Dakar, Tatra vehicles showed their competitors that they would have to be reckoned with in the future.
The following year, 1987, was very successful for Tatra trucks. Two vehicles from the Tatra factory team took part in the race – the T 815 6×6 special and the new T 815 4×4, driven by Karel Loprais. Other Tatra trucks also appeared at Dakar, entered by foreign teams, and from that time onward the number of Tatras at Dakar increased, including within the organizational team of the entire competition. The final second place achieved by the Loprais, Stachura, Krpec crew in the T 815 4×4 was considered a major success. This year also foreshadowed the long-term success of the Tatra factory team at this world-famous rally.
First victory and the most successful years
The first historic victory for Team Tatra came in 1988. In the jubilee tenth edition, the Czech crew of Loprais, Stachura, and Mück triumphed once again with the T 815 4×4. In addition to this winning truck, now part of the collections of the Tatra Truck Museum, many other crews with Tatras appeared at the start, including the team of former Formula 1 driver Clay Regazzoni. The shadow over that year was the accident of a Dutch crew in one of the DAF trucks and the death of its navigator. As a result, the organizers cancelled the truck category for 1989, and the Tatra team did not compete; however, a total of 22 Tatra vehicles took part in support and organizational roles.
From 1990 onward, the T 815 6×6 and T 815 4×4 regularly participated in Dakar, and the 1990s and the beginning of the new millennium represented the most successful period for the Tatra brand. The leader was once again Karel Loprais. The Tatra team achieved bronze finishes in 1990 and 1992, first celebrating third place with Zdeněk Kahánek, followed two years later by Karel Loprais. In 1994, Karel Loprais, together with Radomír Stachura and Josef Kalina, claimed victory again with a new competition special, the Tatra 815 4×4 named “Hasičák,” featuring a four-door cab and a turbocharged twelve-cylinder engine. By 2000, within the factory team, Karel Loprais and his crews secured three more triumphs: in 1995 again with “Hasičák,” and in 1998 and 1999 with a new special nicknamed “Puma.”
In addition, the factory team added two second places (1996 and 2000) and four third places (1995, 1996, 1998, and 1999) to its overall record. We can also include first place in the Pharaons Rally in 1988, second places in the Paris–Beijing Rally in 1992 and the Tunis Rally in 1994, as well as in the UAE Desert Challenge in 1999 and 2000. During these years, Tatras were clearly the best trucks at the Dakar Rally and undoubtedly contributed to excellent global promotion of the Tatra brand.
Tatras in the service of several teams
The year 2000 marked the end of the Tatra factory racing team, and the Kopřivnice manufacturer ceased its own sporting activities at Dakar. The factory team was followed by the private Loprais Tatra Team, which prepared its vehicles with technical support from the manufacturer. At the 2001 Dakar, Karel Loprais and his crew secured another, already sixth, victory in this prestigious race. The year 2002 brought changes to many regulations. The Loprais Tatra Team therefore built entirely new trucks again based on the Tatra 815 model range, and Karel Loprais finished second overall, which was his last podium result at Dakar. After the end of the factory team, the Tatra tradition at Dakar was also maintained by the team of Tomáš Tomeček. His greatest success was second place in the 2003 edition, also with a Tatra 815 4×4.
After the 2006 edition, Karel Loprais retired from active racing. Throughout his twenty years at Dakar, he remained loyal to the Tatra brand and achieved an incredible six victories, along with numerous second and third places. Following the end of his long and successful career, he was replaced in the cabin of the Tatra 815 truck by his nephew Aleš Loprais. Aleš had already completed his first Dakar in 2006 in Karel Loprais’s crew as a navigator. He capitalized on this valuable experience the following year, when he managed to secure third place with the Tatra 815 4×4.
Tatras in South America, Arabia, and Africa
The year 2008 was marked by instability in Africa. The organizers feared a direct threat of terrorist attacks, and the rally was cancelled just days before the start. The following edition was held for the first time in South America, where the Dakar Rally remained for several years before moving to Saudi Arabia in 2020. At the 2010 Dakar, five Tatra 815 4×4 trucks appeared at the start. In addition to the regular crews of the Loprais Team, Letka Racing Team of Tomáš Tomeček, and the Brazilian Petrobras Lubrax team, the Czech Dakar Team also competed with two Tatra 815 4×4 trucks. Two years later, another team competing with Tatra trucks made its debut – Bonver Dakar, later known as the Fesh Fesh Team. Within this group, a special based on the Tatra Phoenix 4×4 model appeared at the Dakar start for the first time in 2013 in the colors of Dakar Team Holland.
At the 2014 Dakar, the Tatra Buggyra Racing team made its debut. In addition to vehicles from the Tatra 815 4×4 model range, it also used Tatra Phoenix 4×4 trucks. Besides Tatra Buggyra Racing, Tatra Trucks supported other teams, for example the Promet / Czechoslovak Group team of Tomáš Tomeček, which has regularly participated since 2010 in the Africa Eco Race, an event that follows the original African Dakar rally, including the traditional finish in Senegal’s capital, Dakar. Within the Africa Eco Race, Tomáš Tomeček, with his Tatra 815 4×4 special, achieved a number of victories as well as second and third places.
Share