Would you write a check for a Czech-built Tatra?

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

Are you passionate about purple Pacers? Do vintage Checker taxis set your meter running? Would you write a check for a Czech-built Tatra?

Those vehicles, and 27 others, are among the finalists in the 2010 Collectible Car of the Year contest. Less than a month remains to cast a ballot for your favorite; voting ends May 17. The winner will be announced July 24.

The 30 finalists were selected by our judges from a field of more than 650 entries. Other contenders include a flamboyantly red Jaguar E-Type; a globe-trotting Volkswagen Beetle that was transformed, in Pakistan, into a work of art; several convertibles; a woody; and a couple of remarkable pickup trucks.

To see the winner of the 2008 contest, plus a gallery of that year’s finalists, click here. And as always, feel free to show off your own ride in the Share & View Photo Gallery.

Now let’s go back to the competition, already in progress.