Tatra Trucks
 

Since Tatra trucks have became available in Australia they have proven to be the battleship of all vehicles in the mining, drilling and service industries,

http://www.miningaustralia.com.au/Ar...ks/476866.aspx

Click on the Tatra truck link on the above website for a video

Wow! I'd have loved to have seen them do THAT live!

As a vehicle design and test engineer I've long revered the Tatra for its innovative design. I saw my first vehicle 'in the metal' in 1990 during a brief visit to Czechoslovakia (as it was then) and since I have crawled under several during a longer visit to the Czech Republic.
I don't know how the costs work out but if you need a vehicle that is robust then there are few capable of standing up to the arduous conditions.

Tatra history on video (stick with it)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Hl-z...eature=related

One for G-CPTN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRAqzv-bHS0&NR=1

Are these the trucks that often feature in the Dakar Rally?
I vaguely recall seeing a documentary about this desert rally ages ago. Also featured were the guys (and a woman!) on motorbikes!

:)

Indeed they are John and a lot of winners of the Dakar have used them over the years.

There used to be a website that had a comprehensive technical appreciation of the Tatra tubular chassis concept. It now seems to have 'lapsed' (http://www.tatra-trucks.com/tatra-uk-engineering.htm)
Meanwhile here are some others:-
http://www.sovereign-publications.com/tatra.htm
http://www.tatratrucksusa.com/ATT%20Tatra%20Trucks.html
http://www.tatra.cz/en/konception_en.asp