Spotted.... a Tatra...!

[Podie]

Spotted a Tatra 613-4 last night...



... can't be many in the UK! Anyone ever driven one? Saw a few when I was in the Czech Republic and Poland between '95-96... but not seen one in the UK before.

[yertis]

God that's ugly. I quite like the earlier V8 rear engined Tatras though.

[minimax]

IIRC they're quite powerful - through the mists of time I think I remember reading a road test in Autocar "bloody ugly but 300 BHP and cheap" was the upshot

[Podie]

minimax said: IIRC they're quite powerful - through the mists of time I think I remember reading a road test in Autocar "bloody ugly but 300 BHP and cheap" was the upshot

parts might be an issue...

[planetdave]

I thort they were all rear V8s and therefore something to be respected. Great idea AND a looker to boot (well, a boot anyway)

[planetdave]

Just poped out to a Tatra site and can comfirm rear aircooled V8 above the rear axle
Very bonkers

Some of their stuff looked v interesting and was handbuild (double edged sword p'raps)

[plotloss]

That looks very Bristol...

[ducksavoidingslapfromgnomesmithforbringingthegreatbrandintodisrepute]

Matt.

[Bodo]

more pics here.

[bikerkeith]

Haven't driven one but rode lots of miles as a passenger in a couple when I went to Czecho a few years ago. V fast but handling a bit peculiar, with the V8 stuck out at the back. Some got up to very high mileages, one of those that I rode in had over 400,000km on the clock and it was still going like the wind.
A Chech bloke I knew was planning to do a personal import but don't know what became of it, as we lost touch over the years. I recall reading a guy in Surrey was planning to bring some in to the UK.
Got a couple of photos (including one of the engine) which I will post if I can work out how to.
Under the bad old days of Communism the only people who got hold of these were Ministers (or more correctly their chauffeurs),but once 1989 happened they went into more general circulation.

[cinqster]

If you want to see some in flesh then come to Aircool 2003 at Duxford. It's on the 27th April...should be good for a laugh!

www.tatra-register.co.uk/events.htm

[mrsd]

There was briefly a company importing and 'westernising' them in the UK. That car looks like one of theirs. There are often a few for sale in the UK and the Unloved Soviet Socialist Register can help with parts. Seen one of the older V8s (known during WW2 as the widowmaker) at H&H in Buxton a while ago, quite a sight