Outside of the Lane Museum in Nashville, where in the United States would you ever expect to see a Tatra automobile? Built in relatively small numbers until 1999, when the Czechloslovakian manufacturer decided to focus purely on their medium- and heavy-duty truck lines, cars like the 613 we found being sold in New Jersey were notable for their reliance on a rear-mounted, air-cooled engine. And yes, a car as big as the 613 is packing an air-cooled engine, in this case, a 3.5L V8 hooked to a four-speed manual trans, and all of them, from 1974 to 1996, were equipped as such. Flies in the face of what you’d expect a car from the Soviet-controlled era to be, doesn’t it? It looks more extravagant than a Fiat Polski, it’s a damn sight bigger than a Trabant, and a V8?
Tatras weren’t meant for the ordinary citizen. Government officials, police and fire brigades, business leaders, and in the case of this particular 1989 example, the KGB used Tatras. With 200 horsepower on tap and the capability of running over 140 miles an hour if need be, they certainly have a freak factor about them. Think of the Tatra as what could’ve possibly happened, had Ralph Nader not zeroed his sights in on the Chevrolet Corvair. Or, if you’ve got the kind of scratch that’s being asked for this example, find out for yourself!
Craigslist Link: 1989 Tatra 613-3
(Thanks to Adam Botley for the tip!)
Damn…if only Rock Auto carried parts for the car (thru 1868). Wonder if Putin used it in his KGB career? Looks like the trunk maybe good for one big or two small bodies.
These were used as government cars in North Korea, where they might have been the only cars on the road! I’d like to see twin turbos fitted to that sublime aircooled V8 and it lying in wait for Porsche 911s to have for lunch as it blows them into the weeds!
Shit, I’d drive that…
In Russia, V8’s are air-cooled Putin the trunk!
Typical ugly Eastern European car.