Tatra celebrates 40 Years of the Tatra Brand at the Dakar Rally

26.2.2026

The year 2026 is exceptionally significant 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 important anniversary during the Kopřivnice Tech Days, held in May this year, where numerous legendary Tatra racing specials and their owners will gather at the company’s invitation.

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of its first Dakar start, Tatra Trucks is organizing a gathering of racing specials that have competed, are competing, or will compete in legendary long-distance rallies—whether the original Paris–Dakar Rally or today’s Rallye Dakar. The reunion will take place during the Kopřivnice Tech Days 2026 on May 30–31 at the Tatra factory premises in Kopřivnice.

The Kopřivnice Tech Days is a traditional public event where visitors can explore the latest vehicles produced by Tatra Trucks as well as other interesting equipment used, for example, by firefighters and the Czech Army. This year’s edition will feature a special “Dakar Zone,” showcasing—alongside vehicles from the collections of the Tatra Museum—additional historic and modern vehicles closely associated with rallies bearing the name Dakar. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet legends who drove Tatra racing trucks, as well as personalities who designed, built, or prepared them for competition.

The event will also serve as a retrospective of the T 815 model range, which for four decades represented one of the main pillars of production at the oldest Czech automobile manufacturer. Production of the T 815 series ended exactly one year ago, on February 25, 2025. It was this very model line that became synonymous with Tatra’s success in Dakar competitions. As part of the 40th anniversary celebrations, Tatra Trucks has also prepared a range of themed promotional and commemorative materials, merchandise, stylish clothing, and accessories for fans of Tatra trucks and long-distance rally competitions. These will be available to visitors at the Kopřivnice Tech Days as well as through the official Tatra Trucks e-shop.

Tatras at Dakar – The Dakar History of Racing Specials from Kopřivnice

The origins of the Dakar Rally date back to the turn of 1978 and 1979, when the inaugural edition set off from Paris to Dakar, covering a demanding 10,000-kilometer route. Following its great success, the event was repeated the following year and gradually became a global tradition watched by millions worldwide.

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 made their Dakar debut. Two Tatra 6×6 trucks performed exceptionally well. Were it not for unforeseen problems and organizational chaos in the final stages, they would have achieved outstanding results (they were in 2nd and 8th place before the last stage). Until then largely unknown at Dakar, Tatra trucks demonstrated to their competitors that they would be serious contenders in the future.

The 1987 edition proved highly successful for Tatra. Two factory team vehicles competed—a T 815 6×6 special and a new T 815 4×4 driven by Karel Loprais. Additional Tatra trucks entered by foreign teams also appeared, and from that point on the number of Tatras at Dakar steadily increased, including within the event’s organizational fleet. The overall second place achieved by the crew of Loprais, Stachura, and Krpec in the T 815 4×4 was regarded as a major success and foreshadowed the factory team’s long-term competitiveness.

First Victory and the Most Successful Years

The first historic victory for Team Tatra came in 1988. In the 10th anniversary edition, the Czech crew of Loprais, Stachura, and Mück triumphed again with the T 815 4×4. Besides the winning truck—now part of the Tatra Truck Museum collection—many other Tatra crews competed, including a team led by former Formula 1 driver Clay Regazzoni. Tragically, the event was overshadowed by a fatal accident involving a Dutch DAF crew member. As a result, the truck category was canceled in 1989, although 22 Tatra vehicles still participated in support and organizational roles.

Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, the T 815 6×6 and 4×4 models competed regularly, marking the most successful era for Tatra at Dakar—once again led by Karel Loprais. The factory team achieved multiple podium finishes, including victories in 1994, 1995, 1998, and 1999. Overall, the team secured six Dakar victories, along with numerous second- and third-place finishes, firmly establishing Tatra as the dominant truck brand of the era.

Tatras in the Service of Multiple Teams

In 2000, the Tatra factory racing team concluded its activities. It was succeeded by the Loprais Tatra Team, which continued with technical support from the manufacturer. In 2001, Karel Loprais claimed his sixth Dakar victory. After regulatory changes in 2002, newly built T 815-based trucks competed, and Loprais finished second overall—his final Dakar podium result. After retiring in 2006, Loprais was succeeded by his nephew Aleš Loprais, who went on to secure third place in 2007 with a Tatra 815 4×4.

Tatras in South America, Arabia, and Africa

Due to security concerns, the 2008 Dakar Rally was canceled shortly before the start. From 2009 onward, the rally moved to South America, and in 2020 it relocated to Saudi Arabia.

Over the years, several teams competed with Tatra trucks, including Loprais Team, Letka Racing Team, Czech Dakar Team, Bonver Dakar (later Fesh Fesh Team), and Tatra Buggyra Racing. Trucks based on both the T 815 and Tatra Phoenix model lines appeared at the event.

Tatra Trucks has also supported teams competing in the Africa Eco Race, which follows the spirit of the original African Dakar route, finishing in Dakar, Senegal. In this competition, Tomáš Tomeček achieved numerous victories and podium finishes with his Tatra 815 4×4 special.