After the Second World War, four light railcars of the type VT 135 remained in Czechoslovakia, which were used as a basis for the development of an own railcar. The mechanical Mylius gearbox used in the German prototypes was reproduced and the specification for the engine was to use the air-cooled V12 diesel known from the Tatra 111 truck. The engine was throttled slightly to improve reliability in railway service. With a length of just over twelve meters, the vehicles offered 48 second-class seats and up to 21 standing places.

The first 40 pieces were made entirely by Tatra. For the next 100 pieces, most of the assemblies were still made by Tatra, but they were assembled at Vagonka Tatra in Studénka. Another 200 pieces were made entirely in Studénka until 1951. Another series of 209 pieces followed from 1954, bringing the total to 549. Due to the large number of pieces and wide distribution, they were nicknamed “Hurvinek”, after a puppet known in Czechoslovakia. Use in passenger transport ended in 1984. The surviving examples were reclassified as class 801 from 1988.

Through the conversion of individual vehicles, various sub-series have emerged over the years. A total of 85 examples were designated M 131.2, which were converted from 1967 for the maintenance of overhead lines. Two vehicles had an engine from LIAZ with hydrodynamic power transmission, which were listed as M 131.3 and were used as the basis for the development of the M 152.0. Some broad-gauge vehicles for traffic in the direction of Ukraine and the Soviet Union were designated as M 131.5, while the only example of the M 131.6 was a former vehicle from the class M 131.2, from which the tower structure was removed and which was then used in an accident salvage train.