West Peterson Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 Built in early to mid-1930s, and with a six-liter 12-cylinder engine. Although it probably wouldn't be too difficult to get this car certified, until then it would have to be parked in the parking lot like my 1992 Taurus SHO station wagon at a CCCA Grand Classic. Can you identify it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ewing Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 Sorry I don't know what it is, but in looking at it a few details struck me as 'different'. The door handle seems unusually low on the door, the landau iron hinge looks like its in the lower side of the bar, usually they are on the upper side to 'hinge' forward, not back, and the trunk seems to be a large body contoured piece that starts at the immediate rear of the canvas roof.I am curious as to what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 Landau bars are definitely installed upside down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ChrisSummers Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 Tatra? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted November 14, 2008 Author Share Posted November 14, 2008 For a young feller you're pretty good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ChrisSummers Posted November 15, 2008 Share Posted November 15, 2008 Thanks.When Pebble Beach honored Tatras a few years ago, a car almost exactly like that one, except green, was on the field, and won its class, I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLee Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 What a wonderful car. By the length of the hood it looks like this car might be a T-70 six cylinder rather than the T-80 twelve cylinder car. Maybe, West, you have some background on this particular car that indicates the twelve cylinder configuration?If you fellows had the time to read all the neat things published in The Bulletin you would know that the Tatra is a Full Classic®. In February 2008 the Classification Committee proposed for Full Classic status Tatra models T-80, T-70, T-70A, T77, T77a and T87. After some further research instigated by Chairman Bob Joynt, it was determined that the T87, in order to comply with the Pre-war antecedent for a post-war car would be limited to those with the early type styling. This proposal was published in the April Bulletin (I think) and final approval was granted at the June meeting. This was then noted in the August Bulletin. The T-80 was priced more than a Rolls-Royce Phantom II, which explains why only 26 cars were built between 1932 and 1935. The T-70 & T70A used a slightly shorter chassis with a 6-cylinder engine and similar custom coachwork. 58 of these were built in 1934 & 1935.The T77 and T77a were really wild aerodynamic types built between 1934 and 1936. Production for these was only 255. They were the first Tatra models to use a rear mounted air cooled V-8 engine, hydraulic brakes and four-wheel independent suspension. There are a couple of these in this country and one in Canada, I think just nearing completion of a total restoration.In 1936 Tatra introduced the T87, an improved version of the earlier rear engine design. Its styling remained virtually unchanged until the middle of 1948 and the basic design continued in production until Tatra ceased building cars in 1998.You can be excused for not noticing the approval of these Tatra models as the car is not exactly a household name in the U.S. The consideration of these great cars for Full Classic status is part of a recently completed effort to examine a number of Foreign makes that have been listed for years as "Application Considered" cars. Over the past few years the Classification Committee has been instrumental in the approval of a number of makes and models such as:Adler 1928-34 Standard 8Armstrong-Siddeley 1924-1933 Model 30, 1933-39 SpecialDaimler 6-cylinder models 3 1/2 litre and larger, 1925-1934Excelsior Adex & AlbertI, 1919-1932Fiat 1923-1927 519, 1928-1931 525 & 1938-1940 2800Georges Irat 1922-1929 2 & 3 Litre, 1930-1934 Lycoming powered carsHotchkiss 1929-1940 3 & 3 1/2 litre modelsHumber Pullman models,1930-1940Jensen, all except the 2 1/4 litre, 1936-1939Lanchester 1919-1931 40, 21, 23 & 30Lancia DiLambda, 1928-1938, Astura, 1931-1939Renault 8-cylinder models Reinastella, Reinasport, Nervahuit, Nervastella, NervasportRohr, 1928-1935 models R, RA, F, FKSteyr 1923-1929 models Type VI Sport, Type VI Klausen, SSK Klausen, AustriaOf course, the Tatra models listed above.While these cars will never take the top spot from '41 Cadillacs on CARavans, they are all very worthy cars. Most have some presence in this country and several are listed in the CCCA Handbook.The Committee is next considering some U.S. makes that have been overlooked in the past. The first one, proposed by Phil Guilhem, and published for your comment in a recent issue of The Bulletin, is the 1930-1932 Hupmobile models H & U. These were big cars on 125 to 133 inch wheelbase chassis with 130 hp eight-cylinder engines of 365 cubic inches. There are a few out there, so the Committee is not looking at cars that no longer exist. There will be others coming up this within the year, so keep an eye on The Bulletin for possible new Classic candidates for your collection.Jon Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted November 18, 2008 Author Share Posted November 18, 2008 Thanks, JonI stand corrected. I'm sure I read that, but forgot. I was looking in the latest Handbook's list, and it was not there. From the website from where I "stole" the picture, it stated that it was a T-80. Here's another photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen_Dyneto Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Here's a Tatra 77A as seen at the Fairfield County (CT) Concours this summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Braverman Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Was this Tatra air-cooled? There is a Tatra from the 1920s in the auto museum section of the Ponderosa in Nevada. It has a renault shaped hood and an opposed engine with the cylinders sticking out into the front wheel wells. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen_Dyneto Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 It was noted above by JDLee that the T77A was an air-cooled V8. If I remember correctly there were two large oil cooler heat exchangers mounted on each side of the engine, and lots of copper plumbing. A pretty stunning car. Owner was a Mr. John Long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted November 20, 2008 Author Share Posted November 20, 2008 Here's a link to a forum from the General AACA section that has several Tatras, including a photo of the engine of Long's car. Earlier in this post is a stunning 1955-56 Tatra prototype that certainly would be on my list of top ten (top 5, perhaps) postwar designed cars to lust after.http://forums.aaca.org/ubbthreads.php/topics/550392/4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted November 24, 2008 Author Share Posted November 24, 2008 DaveYou should have started another post with your comments.I'm on board with the crowd that doesn't like the term "Full Classic." Never did, never will, and I will never use the term in discussion or in print (except when I'm bashing the term). Spending the money to register the term was a waste of money. It would have made much more sense to register "CCCA Classic." Sorry to have stepped on toes. I love Classics and the CCCA, but that move was a blunder in my opinion. Perhaps there are some statistics that say otherwise, but I haven't seen them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted November 24, 2008 Share Posted November 24, 2008 There are other high end 6 cylinder cars accepted by the CCCA. The 320 Mercedes comes to mind. It was over $6,000 delivered when new which makes it complete compatible with my notion of a "CCCA Classic".I can't really think of any notable 6-bangers that have been kept out that should be accepted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chuck Conrad Posted November 25, 2008 Share Posted November 25, 2008 I never liked the term "Full Classic" either and I'm a Past President of the Club. In fact I campaigned against the term when it was proposed. Worse yet was "Modified Classic" which I've always thought of as a Hod Rod term. At least, it died eventually when the Club realized how much it was costing them to defend the term. “Full Classic” makes me wonder if there are any “Half Full Classics” driving around somewhere? Most of mine won’t pass a gas station without stopping, so I suppose it is a possibility. :-) I think "CCCA Classic" works fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLee Posted November 28, 2008 Share Posted November 28, 2008 I agree whole-heartedly with the disdain for the "Full Classic" term. As one of Chuck's few allies in attempting to rid the Club of that term, we were somewhat disappointed when, at the last minute, the copyright application was approved and we were, sort of, stuck with it. Thankfully, as Chuck notes, the "Modified Classic" term was not approved and we moved to avoid throwing more money at it. I have a good friend here in Maine who refers to a Full Classic as a car with four passengers and 20 gallons of gas. Chuck was succesful in having the term "CCCA Classic" approved as an acceptable alternative in Club publications. It seems much more descriptive.Jon Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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