In the fall of 1937 a competition was launched for a new medium tank to equip the Czechoslovak Army; Škoda, ČKD and Tatra competed.

The most serious issues centred on engine design, the reworking of which satisfied the concerns of the army.

After the occupation of the remainder of Czechoslovakia on March 15, 1939, representatives of the German armaments office selected the V-8-H for testing by the Army at Eisenach.

As a result of a fortnight's testing, an order was issued in November 1939 for production of another prototype.

This marked a prototype V-8-HII (second option), or V-8-Hz (trial) in the second half of 1940, underwent tests in Germany at Kummersdorf.