Journalist Gordon Wilkins wrote that “although it has an impressive performance, it produces in the driver the  uneasy exhilaration which may be got from shampooing a lion.” Consumer advocate Ralph Nader called it the only car that was less safe than the much–oft unjustly–maligned Corvair. The German Army was said to have barred its officers from driving it, lest their numbers be diminished even more rapidly than World War II was already managing.

How are we to evaluate these harsh estimations of the Type 87 Tatra? I found a good assessment to be 14 years of ownership of just such a car. Why did I buy a Tatra T87 from the Honda dealer to whom it had been traded for two motorcycles? I’d always nursed a passion for the innovative experiments of the 1930s with streamlined rear-engined cars. Burney, Stout, Tjaarda, Porsche, Fuller, Bel Geddes, Ledwinka and Schjolin were only the best-known of the many adventurous designers and engineers who saw the future of the automobile in rear engines and advanced aerodynamics.

Ledwinka was 59 when the T87 was introduced at the Prague Auto Salon in the autumn of 1937. Engineer Erich Übelacker worked under Ledwinka to create the astonishingly aerodynamic forms of the T87 and its predecessor the T77 (he had a hankering for sevens). Before he left to join Steyr in 1936, Übelacker completed the upgrading of the first model of the T77a and the design and initial proving of the T87.

Tatra’s T87 was enthusiastically welcomed by the German high command as a big, fast, comfortable courier that seemed tailor-made for the four-lane Autobahns that Fritz Todt’s engineers were building throughout the Greater Reich. Todt himself owned and was driven in one, according to Tatra historians Ivan Margolius and John G. Henry. It was one of the more expensive cars of the day, selling in Germany for RM8,450. A 2½-liter 6-cylinder Opel Kapitän was less than half as costly at RM3,975.

Shorter and lighter than the more cumbersome T77, the T87 was the first Tatra to combine air cooling with a chain-driven single overhead camshaft for each cylinder bank, opening vee-inclined valves through rocker arms. Each aluminum cylinder head was individually cast. Built like a light-aircraft engine, it looked like one when the big rear deck was unlocked and lifted. From its 3.0 liters it developed 74hp at 3,500 rpm.

Modest though this power seems today, its V-8 was capable of speeding the T87 to 96 mph with standard tires and 103 mph with special high-speed tires. This was because the T87 not only looked aerodynamic, it was aerodynamic. A measurement of a drag coefficient of 0.24 made contemporaneously on a one-fifth-scale model seemed too low to be true and indeed was. When an actual T87–Hans Ledwinka’s personal car–was tested in the big Volkswagen wind tunnel in 1979, it was found to have a coefficient of drag of Cd=0.36, still a stunningly low figure for the years in which it was built. Most cars then had a Cd well over 0.50.

Tatra’s production of cars and trucks was integrated into those of the Third Reich’s wartime vehicle sector, the rugged and fast T87 being seen as a useful addition to Germany’s military capability. Among other applications, the Luftwaffe was assigned one as an experimental vehicle. A military police unit that served in Italy and Yugoslavia maintained a fleet of T87s. Production of the T87 continued through the war, without interruption, to 1950. In all, 3,056 were made.

Made in 1947, my Type 87 was externally indistinguishable from the original of a decade earlier, apart from some ex post facto bumpers. It was said to have been resident in the United States for many years after being imported by the novelist John Steinbeck. Later owned by a motorcycle enthusiast who had no difficulty coping with an engine overhaul, it had clearly been driven far and fast.

Piloting the T87 produces a concatenation of impressions. Contrary to popular opinion, there is some vision through the rear louvers–though an outside mirror is essential. Its rack-and-pinion steering is sublime–light, direct, precise as a fine machine tool. Yet its gear shift is redolent of an earlier era with its long, deliberate travel, distinctly notchy gate and absence of constant-mesh gearing in first and reverse.

The T87’s performance is impressive. First and second gears are relatively short, well suited to hilly terrain. Sixty miles per hour is easily exceeded in third. The big Tatra cruises comfortably at any reasonable highway speed. And its top-speed claim was reinforced by the timing of a rebuilt T87 at a two-way average of 102 mph in Australia. The same car accelerated from rest to 50 mph in only 10 seconds, better than the 18 seconds recorded by Vauxhall’s test of a war-weary vehicle.

Handling? Damped in rebound only–and firmly–the T87 copes brilliantly with a wide range of surfaces. Wet roads want watching, but, with sensible driving, the Tatra is a pleasure to handle. And I experienced it at its worst: a rear-tire blowout at speed on the Connecticut Thruway! Substantial yaw angles were reached, but, thanks to the T87’s high polar moment of inertia and quick steering, I managed to gather it up and come safely to rest. So, I have shampooed the lion and lived to tell of it.

This article originally appeared in the NOVEMBER 1, 2008 issue of Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car

Karl Ludvigsen profile: Karl_Ludvigsen

Ivan Margolius’ freshly restored Tatraplan shines in the May 2010 issue of Classic Carsmagazin. Depending on where you live, it is on sale now or will be at your local bookseller within days.

See: classiccarsmagazine.co.uk

Heavy truck maker Kamaz Vectra Motors Ltd’s plant at Hosur has been shut down by the Tamil Nadu Factories Inspectorate for operating without a proper licence, an official said Monday.
‘We found workers were listed under the names of two companies in the same premises. This is not as per the law. Further, the company does not have a licence to operate,’ the inspectorate official told IANS on condition of anonymity.
The inspection took place Saturday as workers at the plant have been on a sit-in strike for over 15 days demanding absorption by Kamaz Vectra.
According to inspectorate officials, Kamaz Vectra had applied for renewal of the factory licence which has not been granted till date.

Kamaz Vectra is a 51:49 joint venture between Russian heavy duty truck maker Kamaz and the UK-headquartered Vectra group having business interests in Europe, India and other places.
Kamaz and Vectra last April inked a joint venture agreement to roll out Kamaz trucks from Hosur factory and early this year the company started production at its Hosur plant.
The plant was earlier operated by Tatra Vectra Motors Ltd.

A Kamaz Vectra official said the joint venture company took over the factory premises, plant and machinery from Tatra Vectra while workers were to be transferred to another group company Vectra Advanced Engineering Private Ltd.
Objecting to the transfer, workers resorted to a sit-in strike demanding their absorption by the truck maker.
Several attempts by IANS to reach top officials of the company went in vain. A questionnaire emailed to it requesting clarifications and the group’s view point remained unacknowledged.

More on Vectra: http://www.vectragroup.com/newsletter/index.html

Tatra-Vectra: http://www.tatraindia.com/Files/Introduction.htm

Kamaz-Vectra: http://machinist.in/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2602&Itemid=2

In 2005 there were still over 1000 Tatra T57s registered in Czech Republic. To be excactly: 1011 vehicles of the types T57, T57a, T57b and T57K with an average age of 67,89 years.

By the end of 2009, there were still 992 units registered. In the top 32 list, there are quite some older models still around: Skoda 100 (36,854 units, average age 38,04 years), Trabant 601 (25,701 units, average age 36,51 years) and VAZ 2101 (24,412 units, average age 34,93 years). The oldest cars listed in the Register include Aero 30 ( 607 units, average age 72.88 years), Tatra 57 (992 units, average age 71.26 years) and Škoda 1101 (592 units average 64.33 years).

Top 32 list: http://news.auto.cz/?sekce=foto&ga_uid=GI_4ba37b897ff22&ga_id=GH_4ba37b896e8cd

Article in Czech: http://news.auto.cz/statistiky/30-nejrozsirenejsich-aut.html

The article has made me curious about how many other Tatras like T 87, Tatraplan, T 603, T 613 are still registered in CZ. Please respond on this article if you know.

UPDATE by Etienne robo@somora.sk

Slovak Republic, 2007:

Tatra 57: 39
Tatra 87: 3
Tatra 148: 3230
Tatra 600: 12
Tatra 603: 125
Tatra 613: 821

Contains only validly registered vehicles w/licence plates and legal papers.

Slovak car enthusiast Ladislav Košík bought very unusual cars during the communist era and has continued to do so. He has told it all to auto.pravda.sk

Click here for full article

Original text in Slovak:  click here

BEML, the premier Public Sector manufacturing Defence Equipment, has bagged and whopping order worth Rs 6.32 billion from the Ministry of Defence for supply of BEML Tatra Vehicles.
This huge order comprises supply of BEML Tatra Vehicles of 498 Nos of 8×8, 278 Nos of 6×6 (with Winch) and 12 Nos of 6×6 (without Winch) to Indian Army.

These 788 BEML Tatra vehicles have to be delivered to Indian Army within a period of 18 months. In this regard, Ministry of Defence has already made 50% advance payment to BEML amounting to Rs 3,158.3 million.
BEML Tatra vehicles are manufactured with unique technology suitable for all terrain operations. BEML Tatra 8×8 are the multi-terrain vehicles used for tank transportation as well as personnel.
These equipment are provided with a winch for self recovery and loading of dead tanks on to the trailor. Similarly, BEML Tatra 6×6 are high mobility vehicles used for GS role in Indian Army.
These vehicles have a payload capacity of 8000 KGs and useful for towing trailers on public roads upto 65,000 KGs and on terrain conditions trailer weighing upto 16,000 KGs. These vehicles also are provided with winch for self recovery and recovery of other vehicles.

BEML, the Rs 30,000 million Mini Ratna Public Sector Company under the Ministry of Defence is operating in 30 million business viz, Mining & Construction, Rail & Metro and Defence & Aerospace.
The Company has act a target Rs 40,000 million to achieve for the current Financial year i.e., 2009-10 beside having a Corporate Jubilee year of the Company.

With this huge order, BEML`s order Book swells to cross the mark Rs 58,000 million as of now.

Paul Greenstein’s 1941 T 87 made it to the final of the New York Times Classic Car of the Year Contest. His car, in good Czech tradition nicknamed osmivalec, hopes to win the contest. 
Bought in 2001 from NY, this car now resides, after it’s restoration, in Southern California. Originally purchased along with a second T87 in May of 1941 by a man named V Konstantine in Olomouc, Czech Republic, this car wound up, after WWII and (as if that were not enough) a catastrophic engine failure, at an upstate NY Lincoln dealer — proof that they would truly “take anything in on trade”…. Even this forlorn Czech ex patriate. Now owned by Paul Greenstein, and Dydia DeLyser, this T87 cruises comfortably at 70, visiting scrap metal dealers and friends alike…. Tatra T87’s feature a rear engine, air-cooled, overhead-cam V8, with a 4 speed transaxle. Pravda Vitezi!

Voting is fast and simple:
1) Open page http://collectiblecars.nytimes.com/contest/Vote.asp
2) To view the profile of each car, click on a photo.
3) Click on the “Vote” button to submit your vote for your favorite car.
Just three steps and you’re done!
Hurry! The contest voting deadline is May 17th.

The April 2010 issue of Classic Cars features a four page article about the T 603 engine, telling all ins and outs. The article was composed with the assistance of several TRUK members.

“It’s one of the greatest engines you’ve never seen – a compact 2.5-litre air-cooled V8 packed with intriguing features and used in everything from trucks to racing cars. It’s Tatra’s marvellous 603.”"

But there is even more. In an article on Zoltan Glass photographs, there is a photo on the T77 engine exhibited on the 1934 Berlin Motorshow.

The April 2010 magazin is on sale now. If you miss it, don’t worry and comfort yourself with the May 2010 issue as there will be a Tatraplan article in it.!

(Robert Keil, Kees Smit)

http://www.classiccarsmagazine.co.uk/magazine.php?issue=43&issue_territory=UK