NW Präsident

The Präsident was an automobile manufactured by the (Nesselsdorf or NW), since 1919 Tatra, in 1897. It was the first practical, factory-produced petrol engine automobile built in Central and Eastern Europe (Siegfried Marcus's earlier cars were experimental and not practical). It was constructed by and Hans Ledwinka. The automobile was more of a carriage without horses than a car in modern sense. The car is steered via handlebars (while most of the cars of the era had a tiller). The wooden bodywork is placed on an iron frame. It has four seats and a convertible top that would cover only the rear seats. Both axles have suspension of semi-elliptical leaf springs. The wheels were similar to the ones of a horse carriage, but had rubber tyres. The car had a two cylinder spark ignition Benz engine placed by the rear axle.

==History== In 1895, NW's director Hugo Fischer von Röslerstamm decided set up an experimental automobile shop. Baron of Liberec, whose driving tour of Europe in 1894, which transpired without any major difficulties, brought fame to the Benz Viktoria, and ingratiated Liebieg to Benz. Liebieg advised the directors of NW to work with Benz, and they opened negotiations with Benz & Cie. In the winter of 18961897, NW sent Franz Cáhel, NW's chief machinist, to Mannheim (the home of Benz & Cie.) to purchase licensing allowing them to build automobiles with Benz engines. NW also bought a Benz Viktoria, and a new flat-twin Benz engine (Benz had only just patented his flat, also called boxer, engine in 1896). The Benz Viktoria is a single-cylinder, phaeton body automobile, and was the first four-wheeled vehicle model produced by Benz & Cie.