Fesh Fesh has been gradually building up its fleet of Tatra 815s for the 2027 Dakar Classic. A month after a former Otto Bruc truck arrived on Christmas weekend, the team’s shop in Kopřivnice welcomed home a six-wheeled Tatra 815 nicknamed “Black Pearl” for its Jolly Roger-themed look.

Black Pearl was one of seven Tatras ordered by Thierry Sabine and his organization for the 1989 Paris–Dakar Rally to replace the MANs they were using. Ota Měřínský, a technician at Tatra, oversaw their delivery to France from early September to mid-October 1988.

It is a 6×6 truck with a 12.51-foot wheelbase, four 230-liter fuel tanks (two on each side), and turbocharged 12-cylinder Tatra engine that produces 325 kW of power and 1,570 Nm of torque. The truck is generally the same as the ones available for foreign customers.

Under the TSO, the trucks mainly served as fuel transports and sweepers to clear the route and pick up retired vehicles.

Afterward, what would become Black Pearl was turned into a service vehicle for teams like Toyota Classic. Fesh Fesh team member Tomáš Fajman found the truck and collaborated with Bohemia Transport to bring it from France back to the Czech Republic.

Fesh Fesh skipped this year’s Dakar Rally after selling their FF7, with plans of returning in 2027 with a new Tatra FF8 truck. 2027 will also be the team’s Classic debut with four Tatras planned alongside a Porsche 911 built by Autogalerie Hranice.

Featured image credit: Fesh Fesh