Seven Days of Dream Car Garages: Day Six by Craig Cole

By now you can tell I have cripplingly eclectic automotive taste. So far my list of dream cars contains no Ferraris, zero Lamborghinis and not a single Lotus, and that’s not going to change with my last two picks. With few exceptions I prefer offbeat cars with lots of character, just like this Eastern European beauty.

The Tatra T603 is a bathtub of a sedan with a rounded, almost bulbous body. Its distinctive appearance hints at the clever engineering hidden within.

Built in the Czechoslovakia, the T603 was the go-to car for communist-party officials and was a relatively common sight in Eastern-Bloc countries during the Cold War. More than 20,000 examples were made, many by hand, over a 20-year production run.

Part of what makes this vehicle so cool is the engine. It was powered by a rear-mounted, hemi-head, air-cooled V8 that actually hung out over the rear axle. This gave the T603 decent power and “interesting” handling characteristics.

With one of these puppies in my dream garage I’m never going to see another one in America. Gawker attention at the annual Woodward Dream Cruise is guaranteed. Advantage: Tatra.

The T603, Czechoslovakia’s finest vehicle, back from the days when, you know, there actually was a Czechoslovakia. Stylin’ like a party boss!