A Tatra Steals the Show at Veteran Car Meet in Los Angeles
The roar of classic American engines was silenced for a moment at the 68th annual "Carriages without Horses" veteran car meet in Arcadia City, Los Angeles. Amongst the iconic Ford Model Ts and other American classics, a rare 1932 Tatra 54 from Czechoslovakia commanded attention. The deep grey-blue car, owned by Los Angeles collector Paul Greenstein, shone under the California sun, a testament to Central European engineering prowess.
Greenstein, known for his extensive collection of Czechoslovak vehicles including Jawa motorcycles, Bömerland cars, and a recently restored Škoda Felicia convertible, chose the Tatra 54 to star in this year’s event. For Vladimír Cettl, a Czech photographer specializing in vintage cars, the Tatra 54 was a highlight of the meet. He travelled all the way from the Czech Republic to capture its elegance with his homemade analog plate camera.
The Tatra 54, with its air-cooled flat four-cylinder engine, designed by the legendary Ledwinka, drew a crowd eager to see its unique beauty. It perfectly fit into the meet’s category of cars built before 1932. While American classics like the Ford Model T dominated, the Tatra stood as a rarity, a whisper from a different corner of the automotive world.
Cettl’s passion for Tatra cars has taken him to concours d’Elegance events in Italy and England, where he has documented iconic Tatras like the legendary Tatra 77. His work has been featured in prestigious venues like Prague Castle and the Paris Salon Rétromobile. The Tatra 54’s appearance in Los Angeles was another testament to the enduring legacy of the brand.
" Bringing this car to life required two days of preparation and service work,” Greenstein said. But the effort was completely worth it, as the Tatra’s presence highlighted Czechoslovak automotive design and history.
For those interested in exploring Tatra’s history, a detailed account of the Tatra 603, another iconic model from the brand, is available online.
Cettl documents automotive history through photographs capturing the essence of these automotive legends. His work captures the history, artistry and engineering brilliance of automotive icons.
For Cettl, the Tatra
The trip to Los Angeles was a reminder that automotive history is a global story, inspiring enthusiasts worldwide.
Vladimir Cettl: The Man Behind the Lens
Vladimír Cettl, a artist born in 1973, is not only a photographer but also a graphic design artist and exhibition producer at the Regional Museum in