Legendary T600 1953 EVO V8 is going to Le Mans
The picture is the legendary T600 1953 EVO V8, the only car of its kind in the world, originally donated to Hanzelka and Zikmund’s traveler on February 13, 1953. This is the EVOluce transition from T600 to T603.
According to severeral sources this T600 from 1953, named by its owners Tatyra T 600 EVO V8, is an evolution model between the T 600 and the T 603, donated to Hanzelka and Zikmund in February 1953, something that could not be confirmed by the Tatra Museum. In restored form it was believed that it would compete in the Le Mans Classic race as a rarity. Drivers named are Duncan John Arthurs, Josef Smarda and Austen Wells
Smarda (owner of the T 600 and classic Porsche 911 racer) profile: http://www.pragueconnect.cz/en/s462/PragueConnect-cz/Articles/c2053-Leadership/n379462-An-Interview-with-Doctor-Joseph-Smarda
Austen Wells is an experienced British classic racer.
Duncan John Arthurs is known in the UK for his outings with his T 11 sports car.
Question is: Is it an original T 600 transition model? Personally I do not think so though more stories would be welcome. There are too many odds in the present story. The T 603 is said to have 180 hp. Impossible in 1953 imho. The claimed fact that it is an ex Hanzelka-Zikmund car could not be confirmed by the curators of the Tatra Museum either. Further, Tatraplans fitted with a T 603A engine had louvres in the rear bonnet (on the same position as the T 87) and not louvres low down as on the T 603.
Categories: History, Racing & Rallying
October 12th, 2017