1937 Tatra 75 Cabriolet (RHD)

Description

Named after the mountain range situated on the Polish-Slovak border, Tatra was originally founded in 1850 as Schustala & Co., building horse-drawn carriages before moving on to railroad cars and ultimately automobile production in 1897. The first car manufacturer based in Central Europe, Tatra went on to earn a reputation for technical innovation and built some of the most advanced cars of the pre-war era under the direction of the talented Hans Ledwinka. Introduced in 1933, the 75 was aimed at the upper middle classes and sat above the 57 in Tatra’s model line-up for the duration of the pre-war period. Sold in both two-door and four-door sedan versions, Tatra also offered a longer-wheelbase six-passenger limousine together with a stylish cabriolet. Under the conventionally styled bonnet and traditional radiator shell was an enlarged version of Tatra’s unconventional air-cooled flat-four engine, displacing 1688cc and developing 30 horsepower. Power was delivered to the rear wheels through a four-speed gearbox and the Tatra was capable of reaching a top speed of 56 mph, a very respectable figure at the time. Remaining in production until 1942, the Tatra 75 was eventually replaced by the 600 “Tatraplan” and just 4,501 were built over the nine-year run. The last of Hans Ledwinka’s front-engined Tatras to use the backbone chassis and swing axle design, the 75 also boasted hydraulic brakes and attention was paid to weight reduction, with a light alloy cylinder head casting. Well-proportioned, the Tatra 75 Cabriolet remains an attractive design reminiscent of much larger and more luxurious offerings from the likes of Horch or Mercedes-Benz and high-quality details are evident everywhere you look. Few of these cars remain in public hands, with most lost during the Second World War and survivors are rarely seen in public, more often found in museums and private collections, making this a rare opportunity in Australia.