1981 Tatra 613

I love Tatra! These are one of the coolest, strangest and most forgotten cars in history, but they also hold an extremely important place as the only rear-engine 8-cylinder passenger cars ever made.

Tatra has a long and colorful history as the third oldest automaker in the world, and have seen nations and governments rise and fall while making cars and trucks the entire time. Their chief designer, Hans Ledwinka, associated with Ferdinand Porsche so closely that Tatra produced a car similar to the Volkswagen Beetle two years before the Beetle came out. It's still a source of controversy to this day who was responsible for the eventual Beetle, but Tatra's contribution is undeniable.

Fortunately, Tatra kept on developing rear-engine ideas which resulted in the brilliant and gorgeous 1936 T77,  a huge, graceful, four-door, 8-cylinder rear-engine monster. It was unlike anything at the time an remains unchallenged to this very day in terms of style, aerodynamics and engineering principles.

Tatra essentially followed up with a predecessor to the T77 for the next 40 years, cumulating in the last major body style, the 613, launched in 1974 and lasting until the late 90s (!). It replaced the curvy, space-age 603 and was a complete departure with less chrome, hard angles and a large greenhouse. Late 70s and early 80s examples like this are the best looking with their classic bumpers and spartan interiors.

This one looks pitch perfect in black over burgundy. The exterior looks complete down to the wheels, and the interior is a period affair but cozy nonetheless. Sitting there on those velour seats in front of big analogue gauges and oversized pre-airbag steering wheel and staring out through the huge airy windows must be a totally liberating experience compared to the overdone, claustrophobic and distracting interiors of today.

Underneath the trunk (how I enjoy saying that for a change) is a 3.5-liter dohc air-cooled 8-cylinder engine good for 165 horsepower directed to the rear wheels. This is the stuff of some people's dreams. It sure wasn't efficient, but it definitely blew Volkswagen's rear four bangers out of the water. The only transmission available was a 4-speed manual. Later cars had fuel injection, but the early versions are noted for their simplicity.

The seller writes in poor english but seem to indicate the engine, brakes and transmission all work and valid documents are present. However, they do mention some rust, and say it would be a project car.

This is a really rare and very cool car and is a personal fantasy of mine to own. I know of only one documented 613 in the US. It's not as desirable as the 603, but this gives off more modern, everyday-driver vibes. I'd love to see an American grab this and bring her over. Depending on the rust it could be just driven as-is or need more work, but it's definitely not a deal breaker. This is a complete example of a special vehicle.

Available here for 8,999 Euros or about $12,500.

Mint 1983 Skoda 105L

Cars from the former Soviet Bloc don't get much respect, if any at all. For starters, not many got through to North America. And the few that did, like the Yugo, were mocked. Fortunately, with the cold war and its politics over, Eastern European cars are finally getting some appreciation on this side of the world, because what they had to offer sometimes was actually pretty nifty.

One such car would be Czech-made Skoda 105. It was a compact rear-engine, rear-wheel drive four door sedan. Skoda's long line of rear engine sedans started with the 1000MB back in 1964 and gradually evolved into the 105, which debuted in 1976. Almost 2 million were made until 1990, when it was replaced by a front-engine, front-wheel drive layout, making the 105 Skoda's last rear engine car.

Skoda's rear engine cars were always rather charmingly styled, and the 105 is in keeping with that tradition, but with a twist of late 70s modernism. Styling is simple, taught and no-frills. In an era like today when cars keep getting larger and rounder to meet stringent saftey requirements, the sparse, lean sheet metal of the Skoda is a revelation.

This particular example is a 105 "L" for Luxury and looks great in period flat orange. The black-centered wheels, mud flaps and rear spoiler are all nice and likely original touches.

The interior looks immaculate, in part helped by simple round gauges, pre-airbag steering wheel and small, flat seats.

Underneath the hood is the base 1046cc 4-cylinder engine producing just 44 horsepower. The 105 improved upon its predecessor however by mounting a radiator at the front to help cooling, hence the air slots in-between the front lights. The fuel tank was also moved to under the rear seats. The front suspension was independent and the rear was a swing-axle.

The seller says the car runs and drives great and has just 7,400 kilometers on the clock, which is about 4,500 miles, astonishingly low for cars that were often driven hard on rough rural roads. This one has either been restored or was basically never used, and it looks it, too.

Parts should be in ready supply given the popularity of these in Czech Republic. There aren't many here, so that makes this one pretty unique, and a cool alternative to rear engine Volkswagens.

Available here on craigslist for $6,500.