The Czechoslovakian-manufactured Tatra 77a and 87 automobiles inadvertently became Nazi-killing machines. The Tatra had a top speed of 100mph, which was fast for the era. However, the engine was located in the rear of the car and it was very heavy to drive. Because they were sleek and stylish, high-ranking Nazis wanted to drive around in them. There was just one problem: Nazi officers loved to drive fast and go on long runs across Germany. The Tatra’s heavy steering ensured that if a sharp turn was taken at speed, the car could easily spin out of control, and that’s exactly what happened. In fact, seven Nazi officers died in one week, most found with their Tatras wrapped around a tree. Because of this, the car was dubbed by the Allied forces as the “Czech Secret Weapon” because they killed so many Nazis. In 1934, Hitler ordered Porsche to come up with a car design that could be mass-produced and was economic for the German people to drive. They came up with the infamous Volkswagen Beetle four years later.
