1948 Tatra T87

Sold for $280,500 at 2013 RM Auctions - Monterey.
Sold for $302,000 at 2020 RM Sothebys : The Elkhart Collection.
The Tatra T87 was introduced in 1936 and featured a design by Hans Ledwinka. The streamlined body was built using full monocoque construction, which featured a passenger cabin that was safe, quiet, and sturdy. The relatively short chassis had seating for six passengers. Power was from an air-cooled, magnesium alloy V-8 engine with hemispherical combustion chambers and a single overhead camshaft per cylinder bank mounted at the rear of the car. The car was suspended by a swing-axle suspension with drum brakes located at all four corners.

The T87 would continue in production through 1950, halting briefly in 1943 and 1944 due to World War II.

This Tatra T87 is a late-production model that is believed to be one of a handful built with the 2.5-liter T603 V8 engine. It was found in Slovakia in 2000 and was later imported to Australia by the present owner. A concours-quality restoration soon followed; since that time it has traveled very few miles since the restoration was completed.
By Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2014