-JAWA MINOR II – AERO MINOR

první vozy Aero Minor s jedním stěračemThe automobile Jawa Minor II was likewise prepared during the war. It was presented in public by autumn in 1945. Production was started in 1946. The engine - two stroke, two cylinder liquid cooled with engine capacity 615 cm3, capacity 14,7 W (20 PS) at 3500 revolutions per minute, compression ratio 6:1. The engine drived on front wheels by the front axle. Jawa Minor was equipmented by carburetor brand mark Solex 30 AHR, electric starter, magneto-battery ignition, single plate dry clutch and four-speed overdrive transmission. The front wheels was suspended by springs with hydraulic telescopic shock absorber, behind with lever shock absorber.
Furthermore the car had hydraulic brakes and rack-and-pinion steering. Engine fuel - gasoline, mixing rate 30:1. Lenght 4000 mm, height 1485 mm and terrain clearance 175 mm. The wheels was equipmented by tires 4.75 (5.00) - 16. Curb mass 690 kg, maximum speed 90 km/hour, fuel consumption 7,5 - 8,5 liters per 100 km. Four seater car with streamlined body, coupe in low-end vehicle.

The new type was put to fabrication in 1946. New car, for the present designated Jawa Minor II, took over new floated Air Factory (national enterprise), associating pre-war auto factories Aero, Praga, Walter and others. In the those days was changed car type designation to Aero Minor. Its motorcar chassis was manufactured in the factory Walter in Jinonice, automobile body in factory Rudý Letov in Letňany, which also completed the cars.

Ing. Vykoukal with dr. Frey took a journey with one of the first made Minors to France and Great Britain already in 1946. Known motor-vehicle constructors Claveau and Grégoire and also representatives of auto factory Mathis and Panhard proved new car in France. They didn´t lavish commendation and also comparing with new Renault 4 CV, which later based post war fame of its trademark, talked on behalf czechoslovak product, which touched French competition for driveability and exceled at comfort and spaciousity. Minor was very good evaluationed also in Great Britain and very bargain proposal offered to czechoslovak foreign trade, but it wasn´t improved. French producers wanted to import engines and transmissions from Czechoslovakia and outfited them to their own cars. Known British motor-cycle factory BSA, which once produced also two-track vehicles, was about to produce the Minor in licence. By the czechoslovak party fault no one of theese transactions wasn´t realised, although ing. Vykoukal already dealed with development of alternate four-stroke engine, about which also approved the concern BSA.

sériový STW The Minor was distributed with travel automobile body "tudor" and like a closed auto carrier run Normandia (STW) in limited series, was distributed like a wagon nad pick-up too. Also was produced a few two-seated car Roadster. Produced quantity of these modifications was however imponderable. The factory also exported itself chassis, only with front fender, front lid and windscreen. The foreing body manufactures constructed their own auto body on the imported auto components.


otevřený Minor II z karosárny Sodomka The most of exported cars directed to Holland where was founded strong club of owners very soon and couple of Minors are going in Holland up to this day. The others Minors was exported to Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, France, Sweden and anothers North states, but also to oversea, especially to South America. To 23 states altogether was exported over 50% produced cars, hereat interest substancially exceeded productive possibilities. Very interesting is a fact, that Minor was the most expensive car in its class without exception and its price reached the same price level, which was usual for cars with capacity about 1000 m3. The similar price level was on inland market. The air factory wasn´t literally auto factory and in addition to first rate material and processing gave as well to the chaplet to this car high factory price, which was influenced by production rates, which never exceeded 4000 car per one year. This factory price necessarily influenced the sale price.

cestovatel F. A. Elstner s Minorem v Africe The series of admirable sport scores and convincing advertising campaigns redounded to popularity of Minor. One car engaged the promotion driving on Nusle´s stairs. Another car, type STW, took a drive on the top of Snezka mountain in the full cast, hereat it gave a incidental proof of its resistance, because when this car reversed under the top of the mountain on the body roof because of false move, the carcrew only turned it back on the wheels and carried on without problems. The Holland importer of Minors hitched the car by splash-board on autocrane with the view of documenting the strenght of auto body. The auto body didn´t embody marks of damage. Known roadster F. A. Elstner drived with Minor from Prague to Coton in Guinea Bay. On the return journey he recorded a record - daily average 426 km at cross The Sahara, on the land without roads. This record offered ressistance for long years. Another couple went through a journey behind The Polar Circle in winter season and in framework of this journey Minor took a drive in deep snow to the spring-board of known winter center Hollmenkollen, during the exhibition drive.

tym Aero Minor na Rallye Monte Carlo 1949 The prewar racer of Walter factory, Ivan Hodac, took the 1st place in its class and in the total classification too with his Minor in the known motor racing Raid Polski in 1948. the Minor´s team took the first place in competition of teams, before the Skoda factory team. Leopold Lancman took the 2nd place in Rallye Monte Carlo in 1949, in the category up to 750 cm3 and other racers took the 5., 6. and 9 places also with Minors. The crew Hodac-Versini reached the more success, when they put the Minor to the finish on the 1st place in its class and the 17th in total classification in the 12th Alpine Rallye in 1949. These cars celebrated same successes on the motor racing circuits. They gained victory regularly in Brno. The mass-produced car, registrated by Helaers company, gained victory in 24hours race in Belgian Spa-Francorchamps in 1948. The crew André-Delhaes repeated this victory one year later with hour average 80,5 km per hour.

spider závodníka Hodáče vyrobený 1947 v JinonicíchThe successes of mass-produced cars provoked the factory to construction of sports cars. The first one went out from Jinonice in 1947. Its engine got a special casting of block, which supported the reboring on 77 mm. The capacity rose on 745 cm3 by stroke 80 mm. This engine with the carburetor Amal had capacity 23,5 kW (32k). The gearbox almost wasn´t changed, but the rear transverse spring was replaced by torsion bar spring. The aluminium ponton body had completely covered back wheels and front passenger place. The original colour was yellow, the maximum speed was around 140 km per hour. I. Hodac was the first one, who rode with this car and he reached the greatest success with this car, when took the 2nd place his class in 12-hours race on autodrome Linas - Montlhéry and recorded the new record in class during one lap. The car was produced only in one specimen and didn´t come down to these days.

Minor s posádku Krattner-Sutnar před odjezdem z Prahy na závod 24 hodin Le Mans The race The 24 hours Le Mans was entered on 25th June in 1949 at 16 hrs by attendance of 185 000 spectatores, 1500 organizers and the flock of 2000 policmen. 49 automobile makes such as Ferrari, Aston Martin, Rilley, Singer, Healey, Frazer Nash, Talbot, Delage, Delahaye and others started. The Prench drived strong teams of law-category cars Renault and Simca, on whose position they mattered. The biggest car in race was aristocratic Rolls-Bentley with engine capacity 4246 m3. The Czech primarily wanted to run out. They didn´t started happili. Departure from Prague was delayed, cargo truck Aero 150, which carried Krattner´s and Sutnar´s car, couldn´t reach Le mans on time any more. Then the racing car went out by its own power. It was its first kilometers, because wasn´t time for running-in in Prague. The second car was waiting in Le Mans, but even this one wasn´t without problems. The merciless heat cut cars of every automobile makes and new cutout which improved the coaling occured in bodies.

Finally the start! Krattner, who started with plan not tax his car, found out that he led the whole field in first turning. He rather slowed and let stronger competitors to overtake him. The rivals droped out step by step because of breaks down and crashes. Also the second Minor sloped off for a longer time with break down of transmission in depot. Krattner and Sutnar were on the 7th place in total classification by capacity coefficient after 18 hours of driving, after 20 hours they were on the 5th place and they were the 4th in 21st hour of race! The race was finished by great success of Minors. Krattner and Sutnar took the 1th place in class and the second in total classification after twelvecylinder car Ferrari. They drived 2392 km and improved the previous record of the class by 15 km per hour with average 99,666 km per hour, whereas the winners of the other classes deeply tailed off behind the record achievements from the last pre-war volume. This situation was probably promoted by circle condition. The second Minor took the 13th place in total classification of 19 cars, which finished the race. The Aero Minor became the only one automobile make, which finished the race with complement starting cars! Hereat the Minor was very close to become absolute winner, if it had had more experiences, better working depot, running-in car and if the victorious crew had been alternated. The alternation became obligatory in later years. Luigi Chinetti, the later representative of Ferrari in New York, drived over the 23 hours and Lord Selsdon, much weaker driver, who financed the car´s start, didn´t drive even solid hour.

The production of Aero Minor was finished with total quantity of 14 187 (by other sources 14 114) in 1951.