Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]

Announcements (Updated: July 11, 2018)

Welcome to Swifty's Garage!


Thanks to all of you for making this board what it is today!


Attention new members: We would like to welcome you personally, so please introduce yourself. Click here: INTRODUCTIONS


For all the latest news and announcements, please click here: PA System



Thank you - The Swifty's Garage Team




This board is best viewed at 1024 x 768 Resolution

Car of the Week:


Matchbox 1968 Ford F-100


Click Here: Matchbox '68 Ford F-100
Welcome to Swifty's Garage. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.

Thank You,
The Swifty's Garage Team


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features.

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Car Of The Day: September 29, 2009; Grell '55 Tatra T603
Topic Started: Sep 29 2009, 02:04 AM (686 Views)
Swifty
Member Avatar
The Mustang II is a Mustang too!
Posted Image

Today's car of the day is Grell's 1955 Tatra T603.

Posted Image

Wikipedia
 
A mere three years later, amid much dissatisfaction among officialdom about the poor-quality official cars imported from Russia, Tatra was again given permission to produce a luxury car, the Tatra T603. A fair successor to the prewar cars, it was also driven by a rear-mounted, air-cooled V8 and had the company's trademark aerodynamic styling. Uniquely, the Tatra T603 featured three headlights, and the first prototypes had a central rear stabilising fin, though this was lost for production. Fitted with almost American-style thick chrome bumpers with bullets (a.k.a. Dagmar bumpers), the Tatra T603 was an amazing looking car for 1955. Performance was spritely for a large, six-seater car, and the ride was smooth. Almost entirely hand-built, Tatras were not for everybody; normal citizens could not buy them. They were reserved for Party elites, Communist officials, factory presidents and other notables, as well as being exported to most other Communist nations as official cars. Even Fidel Castro had a white Tatra T603, custom-fitted with air conditioning.

Tatra T603s were built until 1975, a twenty-year era as one of Communism's finest cars. Numerous improvements were made over this time, but not all the new cars built in this period were actually new. When a new Tatra replaced an old, the old vehicle was returned to the factory. There, it was upgraded to modern condition, refinished, dubbed new and sent out again as a putatively new vehicle to replace another older Tatra. This makes it hard to trace the history of surviving vehicles.


Posted Image

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatra_T603

Posted Image

Another unique ride from Grell, here's a car you'll probably never see in the United States. One thing's for sure, these cars are like nothing else on the road! The Grell is a nice casting, and a welcomed one of a car that doesn't deserve to be relegated to obscure status.

Posted Image

Wikipedia
 
The model replaced the T600 Tatraplan model in 1956. Three versions of the model T603 were manufactured successively between 1956 and 1975. These cars are designated T603-1, T603-2 and T603-3, though the -3 was not an official designation used by Tatra. The T603-1 is easily distinguished by its three headlamps enclosed beneath a clear glass cover. The T603-2 had four headlamps mounted within a long oval grill, while the unofficial -3 omits the grill and places the headlamps flush with the car's front fascia. To complicate matters, as Model T603s were returned to the factory to be exchanged for "new" model T603s, the older cars would be disassembled and rebuilt to the current styling. These cars were then returned to use as "new" T603's. As a result, most T603s are of the later -3 styling, regardless of their original production date.


Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
james_autos
Member Avatar
Minivan
I always remember seeing pictures of the real car and thinking just how strange it looked.

I was really pleased to see that Grell had done this model, and unlike many models they have done, this is one I could actually identify without having to look it up!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Snowowl
Minivan
Kind reminds me of a Tucker. :blink:
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
AQUA XK8
Member Avatar
Fullsize
Snowowl
Sep 29 2009, 06:09 AM
Kind reminds me of a Tucker. :blink:
I thought the same thing when I saw the picture. Then again, Russia was famous for copying American ideas and designs.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
accobra64
Member Avatar
Minivan
I never heard of the real automobile, so I learned something new today.
Thanks Swifty for the education lesson.

Cheers. Cobra
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
JustDavid
Member Avatar
SUV
Very cool in its obscurity.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · Car Of The Day · Next Topic »
Add Reply



March's Picture of The Month Contest



Congratulations DinoMom for winning March's contest!



April's Picture of The Month Contest



Congratulations carsdownunder for winning April's contest!






Powered By

This board is best viewed at 1024 x 768 Resolution


eXTReMe Tracker