Tatra 87
The Tatra company had only just introduced the T77a as an update for the T77 when design engineer Erich Überlacker was already driving around in a unique modified two-door T77a test car. This car was fitted with a newly designed aluminium air-cooled V8 engine which was to be used in a successor to the T77 and T77a. Hans Ledwinka, the chief designer of the T77 and T77a, was not entirely satisfied with these models. He considered both cars to be too big and heavy, in particular at the rear end where the engine was mounted. In Ledwinka's opinion the possible successor for the T77 should have the same general design and layout, but gain considerable advantages in compactness, gracefullness and weight. In 1936 this resulted in the T87, probably the most famous and distinctive model of the entire range of aerodynamic Tatra passenger cars. The T87 was a radical change to the T77, incorporating a big number of improvements made to the original T77 design. Compared with to T77 the aerodynamic body was now shortened, made totally self-supporting and fully integrated with the welded box frame. It was the first steel made monocoque body construction by Tatra, in the Czech Republic and even one of the very firsts in Europe. The only disadvantage of the shortened body was a small loss in aerodynamic efficiency, increasing the coëfficient of aerodynamic drag to a value of 0.251. Although this is slighty higher then the T77a's 0.212 it's still well below the value for most modern production cars.
One of the other most significant changes incorporated into the T87 was an improvement on the T77's rather heavy rear end. Ledwinka's aim was to reduce the weight of the entire car and increase the weight distribution by lightening the rear end in particular. Therefore the T87 was equipped with a smaller light alloy OHC V8 engine of 2968 cc. In total a 330 kg weight reduction was gained compared to the original T77. An engine bore x stroke of 75 x 84 mm and a compression ratio of 5.6:1 gave the engine a power output of 55.2 kW (75 hp) @ 3500 rpm. The engine was able to propel the car to a top speed of 160 km/h and a cruising speed of 130 km/h, making it one of the fastest serially produced cars of its time. Besides the great performance of the T87 it was also a real luxury car which couldn't be compared to anything else available at that time.
Streamlining was the marketing gimique of the 1930s. Streamlined shapes were applied to virtually everything, from pencil sharpeners and telephones to trains and automobiles. Either moving or stationairy, streamlining had everything to do with marketing and little to do with efficiency. The 1930s Tatra T77, T87 and T97 however are superb examples of functional streamlining.
The Tatra T87 was designed and constructed in a time when Czechoslovakia was at the cutting edge of technology, industrial design, architecture and art. Like the T77, the T87 was often associated with modernism and featured in press photographs in front of modern style houses and buildings. The T87 was a perfect example of Czech engineering excellence and industrial design. The year 1936 also saw the introduction of a new highspeed aerodynamic express train called the Slovak Missile. It was equipped with two Tatra-engines of 175 hp, which made it possible to cover the 397 km from Prague to Bratislava (with a single stop in Brno) in 4 hours and 51 minutes cutting the previous journey time by one hour.
After the German occupation of CzechoSlovakia in 1939 the Nazis took over control of the Tatra factory and - acting on Hitler's orders - iimmediately stopped the production of the Tatra T97 after a production run of just 510 cars. The reason for this is the close resemblance between the T97 and the German VW KdF-Wagen. Before the war Tatra had ten legal claims against VW for infringement of patents, as VW-designer Ferdinand Porsche had used at least ten Tatra-patents for the design of the KdF-Wagen
The T97's big brother - the V8-powered T87 - did remain in production however in the war years 1939 to 1942. The T87 was a real favourite amongst German officers. Dr Fritz Todt, the German general inspector of the Autobahn network, even proclaimed that the T87 was the ultimate Autobahn car. According to some sources the T87 was said to be CzechoSlovakia's 'secret weapon', as German officers drove them so fast the tail - housing the V8-engine behind the rear axle - would break out in tight corners. It is even said that at one point the German officers were forbidden to drive T87s.
During German occupation Tatra built two prototypes of a T87 convertible in 1940. This car has just two side windows, larger side air scoops and a redesigned rear bonnet to make room for the convertible canvas roof. The rear bonnet has almost completely lost its distinctive tailfin.
Shortly after WW II, in 1946, the British Vauxhall Motors company thouroughly evaluated a T87 from British Intelligence. British Intelligence owned about a dozen T87s for secret missions in Europe involving the captures of Nazi's on the run. The luggage compartment behind the rear seat was used to hide dead bodies of captures and executed Nazi's.