Jay Leno's Tatra!

[R W Burgess]

I hope this video has not already been recently put up. The added name that Leno used for this car made me laugh as he explained the problems that some  "know it all" drivers had at the time.😄

 

 

[padgett]

Tatras had some interesting advts.  Rear engined/swing axle/V8. Heard US soldiers were not allowed to drive or ride in one.

[JamesR]

I saw that video last night...very entertaining. Jay has a very high opinion of the Tatra. It certainly is a unique and innovative design.

 

He put an updated carb on his car that raised the hp from 75 -ish to 85. What I don't quite understand is how a factory version of 4 door 4 seater vehicle with 70 to 75 horsepower could reach speeds of over 100 mph. Given how the cars were driven when commandeered by WW2 troops, however, the Tatra obviously had a reputation for performance. World's first muscle car?

Edited July 30, 2020 by JamesR (see edit history)

[Modeleh]

1 hour ago, JamesR said:

World's first muscle car?

My vote would be for the 1905 Fiat 60hp.  It had automatic spark advance ignition decades before most others.

[padgett]

He said the cd was very low so not much drag, had a full belly pan to help. Heck I had a 2.4 liter RV that could do 100 mph.

[Rusty_OToole]

3 hours ago, JamesR said:

I saw that video last night...very entertaining. Jay has a very high opinion of the Tatra. It certainly is a unique and innovative design.

 

He put an updated carb on his car that raised the hp from 75 -ish to 85. What I don't quite understand is how a factory version of 4 door 4 seater vehicle with 70 to 75 horsepower could reach speeds of over 100 mph. Given how the cars were driven when commandeered by WW2 troops, however, the Tatra obviously had a reputation for performance. World's first muscle car?

A 1938 Ford V8 with 85HP would do 85 - 90 MPH. The Tatra, of similar overall size but lower and more streamlined, I can see doing over 100MPH with its similar power output.

 

From Wikipedia, I get the information that a Tatra T87 cost 25,000 Swiss francs in 1938 which was equal to $5735 US. Or about $5000 more than a Ford. If this is accurate, a Tatra cost as much as a custom built V16 Cadillac or V12 Packard limousine.

Edited July 30, 2020 by Rusty_OToole
remove emphasis (see edit history)

[Rusty_OToole]

If I had to draw a comparison I would say the Tatra is like a 1938 Porsche 930. A very fast, very expensive rear engine car that was also known as a widow maker. The 930 appealed to a lot of newly minted tech geek millionaires and show biz and sports personalities with money to burn in the 1970s and 80s and a lot of them got wrecked in the first few weeks. They got in over their head because they did not know how to drive such a car and did not know it could turn on you in an eyeblink if you push it hard.

 

Racing driver Danny Ongais drove a 930 as regular transportation. A writer for an automotive magazine asked him to describe his technique for fast cornering in his 930 and he replied "I don't take corners fast in a 930".

[8E45E]

I posted a '34 T87 here a couple of years ago: https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/stove-huggers-the-non-studebaker-forum/110253-portland-art-museum

 

Craig