The weird-looking car you’re looking at is a Tatra 603-2 and in just a few days, one will be available through an online auction in the UK.
Chances are that unless you live or have previously lived in Eastern Europe, you may not have heard of the 603-2. That’s because it was designed and manufactured in the Czech Republic for senior government officials. Tatra itself has been around since 1850 and started building its first cars in 1897, making it one of the world’s oldest automakers.
This 603-2 was originally delivered in the Czech Republic before being moved to the Netherlands in the 1980s. It then went on to reside in Denmark before the current owner purchased it and brought it to Slovakia.
Car & Classic is auctioning off the intriguing car and notes that it has undergone a nut-and-bolt restoration. The restoration retained as many of the interior and exterior parts as possible. These include the four closely-spaced headlights that give the car a very distinctive look.
The interior of the Tatra is also just like it was when it rolled out of the factory and sports new velour, vinyl, all the original instrumentation, and the black leather dashboard.
It’s not just the looks of the 603-2 that make it intriguing. The car is powered by a rear-mounted 2.5-liter air-cooled V8 engine with Jikov carburetors. When new, this engine delivered 99 hp and 112 lb-ft (152 Nm) of torque and is coupled to a four-speed transmission.
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The listing reveals that the car has been driven 44,964 miles (72,362 km) since new.
“This is not simply a car produced by and for the Eastern Bloc,” Car & Classic head of editorial Chris Pollitt described. “Tatra is synonymous with innovation, boundless creativity and off-the-beaten track. The aerodynamic lines, revolutionary engine and unusual styling set the model apart from everything else, but this particular car is even more desirable because of the high standards of its thorough restoration and overall originality.”
