Fesh Fesh isn’t racing the 2026 Dakar Rally as they have a massive program planned for the 2027 race and Dakar Classic. One of those vehicles that they’ll likely bring is a Tatra 815 4×4 that arrived at the shop over Christmas.

The truck was built in partnership with French distributor MAM-Strager specifically for Paris–Dakar Rally teams and organizers. It was delivered to the Otto Bruc (a motorcycle dealer in France) team, who used it as a service truck at the 1989 race with a crew of Martin–Busain–Osmond. Being an assistance vehicle meant it wouldn’t have been classified had trucks been included in the final result; the category was dropped due to a fatal accident in 1988.

Later in 1989, it appeared at the Objectif Sud Truck Adventure, a truck-only rally set up by 1982 and 1983 Dakar Truck winner Georges Groine.

By 1996, the truck was part of Jean-Louis Schlesser’s team. Schlesser went on to finish 14th.

The Tatra later spent time with the Sud Expé Raid Aventure travel agency, Stephan Bresnier’s Concept Preparation Raid, and Bertrand Levasseur. Levasseur was about to send it to Australia when Fesh Fesh, with help from Tomáš Fajman and Alan Piatek, traced the truck down and “saved” it from its fate Down Under.

Once it’s restored, the team will field the truck in the 2027 Dakar Classic. Fesh Fesh has multiple Tatras planned for their Classic debut, including a 6×6 and a fellow 4×4 that ran the Africa Eco Race. They will also enter a Porsche 911 that’s being built by Autogalerie Hranice and the new Tatra FF8 in the main Dakar Rally.

While it has fewer wheels, the Tatra 815 4×4 uses the same front axle suspension as its six-wheeled counterpart. It also comes with a turbocharged 12-cylinder engine and a ten-speed gearbox bolstered by another two-speed gear.

Featured image credit: Tomáš Tomeček