Historic Car Brands
Aero-Jawa
The Aero car brand was produced by a Czechoslovakian aircraft maker, owned by Dr Kabes in Prague-Vysocany, between 1929 and 1952. From that date, Aero Vodochody produced only aircraft, well into the 21st century.
As the fledging automobile industry grew in conjunction with the aircraft industry, in the first third of the 20th century, some overlap between the two was inevitable. The best known companies involved in aircraft and automobile development of the time include Ford, Rolls-Royce, Hispano Suiza, Pierce-Arrow, Panhard et Levassor, Bristol and Mitsubishi.
A lesser known company was the Czech firm Aero. Aero was founded in Prague, in 1919, for the manufacture and repair of mainly wood-framed aircraft.
To supplement that fluctuating business, Aero produced motorcycle side cars, car bodies and eventually, complete cars. Early models used mechanicals supplied by Emka, however by 1928, they brought total production in-house. (Incidentally, ‘Emka’ was later used as a model name by Russian car maker GAZ.)
All Aero cars were powered by two-stroke engines.
Aero Type 10 – Ines.cz
Aero’s first complete automobile was the Aero Type 10 (or 500, after its rounded-out engine displacement) cycle-car with unitary-platform construction and a 494cc, single cylinder, two-stroke engine that produced 10bhp.
Drive was through a three-speed gearbox to a rear axle without differential and the little car could achieve 70km /h.
The Type 10 was sold with roadster, cabriolet and coupé body styles, but all had two seats in the front and one in the rear. Production ran until 1932 and totalled 1358 vehicles.
Aero Type 18
Announced in 1931, the Type 18 (or 662) was powered by a larger, 662cc, two-cylinder engine that developed 18bhp and gave a top speed of 90km/h. It had improved, four-wheel brakes and more conventional bodywork, with sheet-steel-covered wooden framing. The Type 18 came as a three-seater roadster and four-seat saloon. Aero produced 2615 Type 18s before its 1933 replacement arrived.
Based on the Type 18/662, the 1933 Type 20 (1000) came with a larger 998cc, 26bhp engine that could power the car to a top speed of 100km/h (62mph). Production lasted for two years and ceased after 2546 were built.
The Aero 1000 roadsters were quite successful in competition, in Eastern Europe and also in major international events. In the 1934 Monte Carlo Rally, Bohumil Turek scored a third in class in his Aero 1000.
Aero Type 30 Roadster – Stahlkocher
Aero’s design went up a significant notch in 1934, when the Type 30 was announced. It retained the 998cc, 26bhp, twin-cylinder engine, but adopted front-wheel drive and all-independent suspension.
1935 Aero Type 30 engine
The Type 30/1000 could reach 105km/h and became the most successful pre-War Aero model. Production reached 7780 before manufacturing ended in 1940.
Aero Type 50 Dynamik – Hymans
The last and largest, pre-War Aero model was the Type 50 that was announced in 1936 and manufactured until 1942. This front-wheel-drive model had a 1997cc, four-cylinder, 50bhp two-stroke engine, with twin aluminium cylinder heads. It was capable of reaching 130km/h and 1205 were made before WWII intervened.
Aero Type 50 engine – Hymans
The Type 50 was a flagship model for Aero and quickly proved attractive for coachbuilders as well as being available with standard factory bodywork.
Aero Type 50 Dynamik – Hymans
Five Aero 50 Dynamik vehicles with teardrop-shaped bodywork by Sodomka were elaborately designed in 1939, resembling shapes by Saoutchik and Figoni & Falaschi. On request, these two-seater roadsters were available in two-tone paint. The American Blackhawk Collection had one that was extensively restored in 1988 and appeared at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 1990.
A planned post-War two-seater soft-top called the Pony 750, powered by a 21bhp, 745cc engine never went into production.
Post-War rebirth
Like all companies on the cold side of the post-War Iron Curtain, Aero was nationalised and, while aircraft production continued, new cars weren’t designed.
The Aero brand returned in 1946 and around 500 Type 30s were produced post-War with a new radiator design, until production of that model stopped in 1947. However, the Aero brand was destined to re-appear on cars, but in a roundabout way, via the famous motorcycle maker, Jawa.
Jawa 750 – Przemek Pietrak
During the 1930s, Czech motorcycle maker, Jawa, had introduced a small, licence-built car called the Jawa 700 that was based the German DKW F2. Only 1002 were produced before production ended in 1937. A racing version, the Jawa 750, was a limited-production machine, built to compete in the local 1600km races.
Jawa 600 Minor – Dawid 783
In 1937, the Jawa 600 Minor replaced the 700 and production continued in limited numbers during and shortly after WWII.
Its successor was the Aero Minor, but it was manufactured by Aero and not by Jawa, from 1946 until 1952. (The niceties of licence-renewal with DKW were obviously not applicable in Russian-dominated Eastern Europe.)
Some 14,178 Aero Minors were produced, of which more than half were exported, mainly to the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Sweden, Austria and Switzerland.
Aero Minor – Rew
Aero Minor models had saloon and station wagon bodywork, and were powered by a 20bhp two-cylinder, 615cc, two-stroke engine with front wheel drive. The car reached speeds of up to 90km/and had fuel consumption of 8L/100km.
The Aero Minor was liked for its spacious body, quiet operation, low fuel consumption and long service life. In 1947, the famous traveller František Alexander Elstner set out from Prague to Africa in an Aero Minor, crossing the Sahara to the Gulf of Guinea and back.
In 1948, another Aero Minor reached the Arctic Circle and was the first car to reach this latitude in winter.
The car was also successful on the racetrack. For competition, the bore was enlarged, increasing the displacement to 744cc and power increased to 30bhp at 5000rpm.
Aero Minor Sport – Ltosnar
This model was used by many successful Czechoslovak car racers and an Aero Minor Sport competed at 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1949, where it took second place in its class.
The Aero Minor was discontinued in 1952, after which Aero concentrated on its core aircraft business that continued after the collapse of the Iron Curtain and well into the 21st century.
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