SPECIFICATIONS
Engine: 213.5 cu. in. (3.5L)
DOHC, V8 air-cooled
Output: 165 HP @ 5,200 RPM
Transmission: 4-speed Manual
Wheelbase: 117 in.
Overall Length: 197 in.
Weight: 3,682 (curb)
Top Speed: 118 MPH
No. Produced: 11,009
Original Price: Unknown
Manufacturer: Tatra
READERBOARD
The successor to the 603, the T-613 would break the Tatra streamlining mold with a more Eurocentric style. To accomplish this, the company looked to Italian designer and coach builder Carrozzeria Vignale to give the T-613 a new, modern look. Not only did the car look different, but from an engineering standpoint, the engine was relocated over the rear axle to improve weight distribution. These cars were for party officials only, not the public, so nothing was too good for those in power.
Starting in the 1970s the demand for Tatra cars began to slow and continued to decline. Imported western cars were cheaper. The T-613 was updated to theT-700 in 1996, but two years later all car production ceased due to lack of sales. However, Tatra and Hans Ledwinka’s impact on the automotive industry influenced many like Ferdinand Porsche and others worldwide. Without them, car design and engineering may not have moved forward as rapidly as it did.
MORE ABOUT THIS CAR
Highlights:
- Vignale’s design featured clean, defined lines, a four-headlamp front, a tall canopy of glass and a short tail.
- Some find the rear styling is reminiscent of the 1969 Ford Capri, which may have been just a happy accident.
- Surprisingly, around 1975 Renault debuted its R30 saloon flagship model, a Gaston Juchet design. If one didn’t know better, one might wonder why Vignale’s 613 and Renault’s R30 look so similar. Was that also just a coincidence?
- Production reached the peak in the late 1970s and by the 1980s only a few hundred a year were made.
- Between the UN imposed trade sanctions with client countries and the fall of the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia, only 11 cars were made.
- Car production ceased in 1998.
EXTERNAL LINKS
COLLECTION
On loan from the Lane Motor Museum, Nashville, TN
