BaT Essentials
Seller: cahaba8
Location: Southampton, Pennsylvania 18966
Listing Details
- Chassis: 12973
- 18k Kilometers (~11k Miles) Shown, TMU
- Air-Cooled 2.5L V8
- Four-Speed Manual Transaxle
- Black over Tan Leather
- Third-Series Example
- Imported to Canada in 1970s
- Engine Work in Slovakia in 2000s
- Four-Wheel Disc Brakes
- Clutch Adjusted in 2017
- New Starter, Brakes 2017
Private Party or Dealer: Private Party
Lot #24858
BaT History (1)
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This 1972 Tatra T603 was built in Kopřivnice, Czechoslovakia and comes from the third and final series of the model. It was reportedly relocated to Canada in the mid-1970s as part of a Czechoslovakian grain purchase. Based in Canada for the following three decades, the car was sent to Slovakia in the early-2000s for engine service before being acquired by the seller in 2008 and brought to Pennsylvania. The vehicle is finished in black over a tan leather interior, and power is provided by a rear-mounted, air-cooled 2.5L V8 paired with a four-speed manual transaxle. This T603-3 is now offered with a Pennsylvania antique title in the seller’s name.
The T603 model was designed by Tatra in secrecy due to government restrictions, before being introduced in 1956. Production continued through 1975, and the cars were used almost exclusively by high-ranking party officials. This example features the last of three styling updates introduced throughout the model run, including a redesigned front fascia. The black paint exhibits cracking on the roof and an area near the rear bumper, each of which is shown up close in the photo gallery below.
15” steel wheels are painted black and wear polished disc hubcaps and Matador MP300 tires. The car features unibody construction along with four-wheel independent suspension, and disc brakes were added as part of a redesign in 1968. The brakes on this example were refreshed with Tatra parts in early 2017.
The interior was re-trimmed during previous ownership using tan leather with black piping over the front and rear bench seats, in place of the original cloth. Charcoal carpeting is retained on the floors and inside the front trunk. A Blaupunkt radio is situated in the painted burled-woodgrain dash face.
A black two-spoke steering wheel sits ahead of a rectangular 180-km/h speedometer. The five-digit odometer shows 18k kilometers (~11k miles), 1,400 of which have been added by the seller.
The rear-mounted 2.5-liter OHV V8 features iron cylinders and aluminum cylinder heads with hemispherical combustion chambers, along with dual Jikov carburetors and electronic ignition. Service in early 2017 included adjustment of the clutch and the installation of a new starter. The engine was reportedly serviced by former Tatra employees when the car was shipped to Slovakia from Canada in the mid-2000s. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a column-shifted four speed-manual transaxle, which the seller notes is difficult to get into first gear and can be challenging to shift into second.
The seller notes the presence of rust in areas around the spare tire housing, as well as on the mufflers, which can be seen in the gallery below. The video below features footage of the engine running.
Video Gallery
Photo Gallery
Auction Result
| Winning Bid | USD $33,250 by NYCBean |
| Auction Ended | November 7, 2019 at 11:24AM PT |
| Bids | 37 |
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