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BIG clue...

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1976 Tatra T700. A lux vehicle intended for Czech government officials to be scooted around in. Leather interior with scads of polyurethane-covered wood. Air cooled rear engine V8 with 5-speed.

This is the only example in the US. It resides in the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, TN where it is maintained in running condition. I drove it for a day in a rally. The 5-speed has a dogleg first down and to the left like the old Porsche's. It is heavy and notchy but with good synchromesh very similar to a Lamborghini Miura. The engine has little low-down torque so either requires slipping the clutch or lots of throttle at the correct moment much like an old Ferrari 250. I don't know what it looks like on the outside when cornering but it drives like an old Allard in which the front wheels go one way and the rear wheels another. The limit is very low with lots of body lean.

If any of you are interested in driving a classic car or an oddball one such as the Tatra for a day the Lane Museum has a "Rally for the Lane" in Sept and Oct, two separate weekends. The route entails driving TN back roads to a luncheon and then return to the Lane for a banquet. Highly recommended.

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I don’t know if it is an apocryphal story but supposedly Tatra got the body design cheaply for this and the very similar predecessor the 613, from Vignale, after his design for a replacement car for the mid sized Triumph 2000/2500 was cancelled by British Leland. They decided that Rover would make medium/large cars in future and went for the David Bache/Spen King designed SD1 and decided to leave Triumph to the deluxe small/mid market with the boring looking Michelotti styled Toledo/Dolomite cars.

 

Wilson

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My favourite story about British Leyland car design is the worldwide launch of the Triumph TR7 sports car at the '74 Frankfurt Motor Show. Giorgio Guigaro was looking at it with the designer and slowly shaking his head in despair. He pointed at the big crease flowing across the door and wings and said: “Harry (Harris Mann) for goodness sake, please tell me that you did not do that on the other side as well.” Poor Harry Mann, who was so proud of the TR7, was mortified.

 

Wilson

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