Replica of first Slovak-made car goes on display near where the original was built

Locals used to call it Drndička because of the distinct rumble made by the vehicle's wooden wheels. Now, a metal replica of the first car made in Slovakia has been unveiled in the village of Hronský Beňadik, Banská Bystrica Region.

The original was made from wood in the 1920s by craftsman Michal Majer, from the village of Psiare, now part of Hronský Beňadik. For the next 30 years it roamed the roads of Slovakia.

Drndička, the first Slovak car (5 photos)

It is said that the car originated from a chance meeting between Majer and Ferdinand I, the then tsar of Bulgaria, when the latter's car broke down. Majer helped him to fix the car and in exchange the tsar later gave him the wheels, steering wheel and car design documents. Based on those, the Slovak craftsman designed his own vehicle from scratch in his workshop.

Unfortunately, none of the parts from the original car, or any design documents were preserved. The current replica was made by artistic blacksmith Andrea Kosecová based on historical pictures. She spent almost a year trying to make it as authentic as possible. The replica is painted beige, although Majer himself later painted his car green.

"I remember the car well," said Jozefína Košťálová, the 93-year-old granddaughter of Michal Majer, who spoke to the My Zvolen website at the unveiling of the replica. "When we came to visit our grandparents, he used to take us home in it," she recalled.

The carmaker did not let her into his workshop. "As a little girl, I ran in there a few times, but only for a while," she added. To this day she has a picture of herself as a child with her grandfather in the original car.

The replica has been placed near the Basilica of St. Benedict where it is hoped it will attract the attention of visitors – the mediaeval basilica is the main reason that most visitors come to the village.

Ferdinand I belonged to the rich Saxe-Coburg noble family. "The family left behind unique buildings," notes archaeologist and regional deputy Ján Beljak. These include a hunting lodge and mansion that now serves as a medical institution in Predná Hora, and another mansion in the town of Jelšava – all of them in the historic Gemer region, in south-eastern Slovakia. In addition, their business activities are still visible in the remnants of the Pohorelská ironworks complex spread across several villages in the area.