Makes › Tatra › 87 · Rare production · 1936–1950 Rare
Tatra
87
Ledwinka's streamlined air-cooled V8 saloon (T87)
Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 3,023 Built
- Years
- 1936–1950
- Engine
- Rear-mounted air-cooled V8, magnesium alloy, hemispherical combustion chambers · 2,900 cc / 2.9 LFactory: 2.9 L
- Power
- 63.4 kW / 86.2 PSFactory: 85 hp · converted
- Top speed
- 160 km/hFactory: 160 km/h
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Hans Ledwinka
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The T87 of 1936 refined Hans Ledwinka's aerodynamic Tatra into a shorter, lighter car than the T77, with a streamlined unibody, a rear-mounted air-cooled V8 and a top speed of about 160 km/h. RM calls it unlike anything else built in the late 1930s, and the design is said to have influenced the Volkswagen Beetle, leading Tatra to sue over patents.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Tatra 87 (Wikimedia Commons: Tatra 87)
Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0
Tatra 87 (Wikimedia Commons: Tatra 87)
Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0
Tatra 87 (Wikimedia Commons: Tatra 87)
Photo: Sicnag · CC BY 2.0
Tatra 87 (Wikimedia Commons: Tatra 87)
Photo: Wikisympathisant · CC BY-SA 4.0
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02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionexamples built 1937–1950 | 3,0231 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Introduced in 1936, the T87 was the end point of a design Ledwinka had begun developing in the early 1920s, worked out from the early 1930s with Erich Ubelacker and aerodynamicist Paul Jaray. It followed the T77 and T77A, which had handling shortcomings. Production was suspended during the war and resumed afterwards, and ran to 1950 with a little over 3,000 cars built; late cars received the 2.5-litre V8 of the T603.
Notable owners are said to have included Ernst Heinkel, Felix Wankel, Erwin Rommel, John Steinbeck and King Farouk.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard 87.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Rear-mounted air-cooled V8, magnesium alloy, hemispherical combustion chambers2 Independently researched |
| Cylinders | 82 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 2,900 cc / 2.9 LFactory: 2.9 L3 Independently researchedconceptcarz also says 3.0-litre V8; late cars with the T603 engine are 2,545 cc (RM). |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Valvetrain | Single overhead camshaft per cylinder bank2 Independently researched |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 63.4 kW / 86.2 PSFactory: 85 hp · converted3,2 Independently researchedStandard engine per conceptcarz; 94 bhp for the 2,545 cc T603 engine in the RM 2013 car. |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Four-speed manual transaxle2 Independently researchedStated for the 1948 RM car. |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Independent2 Independently researched |
| Rear suspension | Swing axle2 Independently researched |
| Brakes | Four-wheel drum brakes (hydraulic)2,3 Independently researched |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Full monocoque (unibody) with belly pan4,3 Independently researched |
| Wheelbase | 3,150 mmFactory: 124 in · converted2 Independently researched |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | 160 km/hFactory: 160 km/h3 Independently researchedStated as 160 km/h (100 mph). |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Recognition features are the 'cyclops' central third headlamp, the rear fin, full unibody construction with a belly pan, and the rear-mounted air-cooled magnesium-alloy V8. Late cars were fitted with the 2.5-litre T603 engine and could have a factory sunroof.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Czech out this amazing Tatra lineup at Rétromobile – Hagerty Media Level B
- 3023 examples built 1937–1950
-
2
1948 Tatra T87 Limousine, Monterey 2013 Level C RM Sotheby's
- air-cooled, magnesium alloy V-8 with hemispherical combustion chambers, mounted at the rear
- V-8 engine
- single overhead camshaft per cylinder bank
- 94 bhp, 2,545 cc overhead-valve air-cooled V-8
- four-wheel manual transaxle
- independent front suspension
- swing axle rear suspension
- four-wheel drum brakes
- Wheelbase: 124 in.
-
3
1947 Tatra T87 Aerodynamic Saloon Level B conceptcarz.com
- rear-mounted 2.9-liter magnesium alloy air-cooled V8
- offering 85 horsepower
- hydraulic brakes
- full unibody construction with a belly pan
- top speed of 160 km/h (100 mph)
-
4
1948 Tatra T87, The Elkhart Collection Level C RM Sotheby's
- full monocoque construction
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