1959 Tatra 603 Found in the PNW

May 10, 2010 by Aaron

A nicely preserved Tatra 603 has surfaced on Craigslist in Seattle.  While this car is not exactly a German auto, it does have roots in German motoring history.  Besides, there is not a Czech Cars for Sale Blog to post this car on. 

This car is an interesting meld of performance and styling that was well before its time.  The V8 engine moves this four door sedan down the road.  In it’s time it carried government officials to and from engagements on behalf of national business.  In fact, very few of these cars ever made it to the car buying public.  The gross majority of these cars were used by the Communist Party in post World War II Europe.  It is rumoured that Fidel Castro is the proud owner of a white Tatra.

The styling offers a glimpse of things you would see in later Corvette’s, Volkswagen’s, and even some Porsche’s.  Tatra has been credited with creating the rear engine/central tube chassis design.  Ferdinand Porsche himself spent some time with a Tatra before designing the original Bug.  Evidently Tatra felt Porsche took too many cues from their cars and filed suit in 1938.

1959 Tatra 603 For Sale:

From the seller’s ad -

“1959 Tatra 603. Exotic CZECHOSLOVAKIAN “Super Car??” – well how else would you describe a Communist hot rod car with a rear engine SOHC all aluminum HEMI V8 !! Stock, original, unmodified and runs well!! The most exotic, bizarre classic collector antique car you’ll ever see. Favored by eastern European Communist party officials during the cold war era, even Fidel Castro has one!!  A classic fastback split window long before the Corvette! $39,500 is my price, if you don’t like it, just go find another this nice for less . . . for that matter, go find another one period! Not likely you’ll do that either!!Car will be consigned to auction at Monterey in August if not sold now.”

While I appreciate the seller’s exuberance I find it unlikely they will sell their car, this car is going to Monterey.  Regardless this is a nice piece of European motoring history that would give its new owner an interesting car to own and drive. 

~Aaron.

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Posted by Aaron in Uncategorized | May 10, 2010 |
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11 Responses to “1959 Tatra 603 Found in the PNW”

  1. #1
    Don Eilenberger
    May 11th, 2010 8:01 am

    Aaron – the Lane Museum in Nashville TN, has the worlds largest collection of Tatras.. Most of them are in the basement, but at least one is usually on the display floor.

    Interesting story about Tatra cars – the German command during WW-II forbid it’s officers from ever driving, or being driven in one, due to their propensity to crash when driven by someone unfamiliar with their odd handling and not very adequate brake systems. It was probably a form of Czech revenge for being invaded and occupied..

  2. #2
    bob
    May 11th, 2010 6:02 pm

    i remember being blown away by a Black Tatra when I visited Prague as a young guy on vacation around 1982. I heard they were very well built and dangerous.

  3. #3
    Aaron
    May 11th, 2010 11:25 pm

    Interesting stuff gentlemen. It would be a hoot to go for a ride in one to see first hand.

  4. #4
    PraetoR
    May 17th, 2010 9:32 am

    Firstly, how does Tatra correspond with german motoring history? By the fact that Benz was first to make a car? Do then all cars correspond with german motoring history? Ignác Šustala, maker of first Tatra was Czech, factory was always situated in Moravia… etc.

    Secondly – Don Eilenberger – remember that at the time it wasn’t common for a car to go 150, neither the roads were designed for such speeds (actually in Czech Republic there is still maximum allowed 130 on highways). So of course that officers that were used to drive comfortably 50 got killed when driving 150. That isn’t the car’s fault. I’ve driven rear engined cars (though not T603) and it isn’t that bad as the stories go.

  5. #5
    Aaron
    May 18th, 2010 2:09 pm

    While I appreciate your wit, PraetoR, I think the fact that Ferdinand Porsche fancied the styling of the Tatra enough to borrow it in his own work on the bug and later Porsches qualifies as German Motoring History.

    If you do not agree, which is your prerogative, bygones…

  6. #6
    PraetoR
    May 18th, 2010 2:20 pm

    @ Aaron

    Maybe it is that my English is limited, but I read sentence “it does have roots in German motoring history” as something that grew from German motoring history, not something that part of German motoring history, especially VW, has grown from. But then again, maybe it is just my poor English. If I am mistaken in this, pardon my previous comment.

  7. #7
    Aaron
    May 18th, 2010 2:30 pm

    Ah, I see how you mean. We can chalk it up to semantics. Either way I appreciate your feedback and readership.

  8. #8
    PraetoR
    May 18th, 2010 3:38 pm

    Let me conclude that here in Europe T603s are more common than behind the pond, but this would still be a fair price for one in perfect condition, if it was really 1959 model. However this one was probably redone and now has looks of latter versions. The company was doing refurbishments, which makes the original older versions quite rare. But it is a great car anyway.

    For versions of T603 check http://www.tatraportal.sk/index.php?ukaz=popisky/t603&lang=en

  9. #9
    Elsa Flaherty
    May 28th, 2010 3:00 am

    Incredibly great post! Really..

  10. #10
    Aaron
    May 28th, 2010 9:32 am

    Thank you kindly Elsa.

  11. #11
    paul greenstein
    July 13th, 2010 7:28 pm

    I can testify that as an owner of both a T603, and a T87, neither car is particularly dangerous or frightening to drive unless maybe you were a drunken Nazi driving on two lane roads through the rural Czech Republic in the rain at 130 KPH. The Chevy Spark I just drove in the same conditions (minus the drunken Nazi part) was easily as frightening, and dangerous… Besides, the factory records show page after page of purchases from German hierarchy, thereby disproving the “forbidding” myth… AS far as this car goes, the chance of it ever having been a 1959 ar at best, slim. More likely it’s a 1969-75 model.

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