Editing Tatra (company) (section)

==Early years==
[[File:Nesselsdorfer_logo.jpg|right|thumb|Nesselsdorfer Automobile logo]]
[[File:Ignac Sustala memorial plaque.jpg|left|thumb|[[Ignaz Schustala]], founder of the company]]
[[File:PresidentFirstCar.jpg|thumb|right|[[Präsident]], the first factory made car in [[Central and Eastern Europe]] in 1897]]
[[File:NW Rennzweier 1.jpg|thumb|right|[[NW Rennzweier|Rennzweier]], the first race car made by the company in 1900]]
In 1850, [[Ignaz Schustala]] founded "''Ignatz Schustala & Cie''" in [[Kopřivnice]], and the company entered the business of manufacturing [[horse-drawn vehicle]]s.

In the 1880s, the company began manufacturing [[railroad car]]s.{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}}

In 1890, the company became a [[joint-stock company]], and was renamed the ''Nesselsdorfer Wagenbau-Fabriksgesellschaft''. Also that year, Hugo Fischer von Röslerstamm became the company's technical director. After Schustala's death in 1891, von Röslerstamm took over the management of the business.

In 1897, the company began creation of an automobile with an internal combustion engine.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-19 |title=First long-distance journey in Tatra car 125 years ago |url=https://english.radio.cz/first-long-distance-journey-tatra-car-125-years-ago-8783582 |access-date=2023-10-23 |website=Radio Prague International |language=en}}</ref> Using a [[Benz & Cie.|Benz automobile]] purchased by von Röslerstamm as inspiration, the company built its first car, the [[Präsident]], under the direction of engineers [[Hans Ledwinka]] and [[Edmund Rumpler]]. The Präsident was exhibited in Vienna later that year.<ref>Wise, David Burgess. "Rumpler: One Aeroplane which Never Flew", in Northey, Tom, ed. ''World of Automobiles'' (London: Orbis, 1974), Vol. 17, p.1964.</ref> The company began taking orders for cars, and between 1897 and 1900, nine improved cars based on the Präsident were made.<ref>{{cite news|title=NW Präsident - Jak to všechno začalo|url=http://www.autozine.cz/nw-prasident-jak-to-vsechno-zacalo/|work=AutoZine.cz|date=1 March 2015|language=cs}}</ref>

The first car to be completely designed by Ledwinka was the {{ill|Nesselsdorf A|de}}, which was produced in 1900. The Nesselsdorf A was equipped with a rear-mounted {{Val | 1=2714 | ul=cc}} engine, and had a top speed of {{Cvt|40|km/h|mph}}. 22 units were built.

The Nesselsdorf A was followed in 1902 by the [[NW B|Type B]], which featured a central engine.

Ledwinka then left the company to concentrate on steam engine development. He returned in 1905, and designed a completely new car, the [[NW S|Type S]], which was equipped with a {{Val | 1=3308 | ul=cc}} 4-cylinder engine.

In 1912, production was badly affected by a strike that lasted 23 weeks, and von Röslerstamm left the company. In 1916, Ledwinka left the company again, this time to work for one of its competitors, [[Steyr-Daimler-Puch#History|Steyr-Werke]] in [[Graz]].<ref name="Hans Ledwinka 2018">{{Cite web|url=https://www.tatratrucks.com/about-the-company/press-and-media/news/hans-ledwinka-1/|title=Hans Ledwinka :: Tatratrucks.com|website=www.tatratrucks.com}}</ref>