This 1948 Tatra T87 is one of approximately 3,050 examples built between 1936 and 1950 and was purchased in a state of disrepair by its current owner from a Slovak car collection in 2010. A subsequent multiyear refurbishment that was completed in 2018 included body repairs, a repaint in metallic blue, a re-trim of the interior in tan upholstery, and overhauls of the mechanical components. Power is provided by a rear-mounted 3.0L air-cooled V8 that incorporates a magnesium alloy crankcase, finned cylinders, overhead camshafts, and hemispherical combustion chambers. Additional equipment includes a dual-throat downdraft carburetor, a four-speed manual transaxle, four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes, four-wheel independent suspension with a swing-axle rear, body-color 16” wheels, a front-mounted oil cooler, and a sliding sunroof. This T87 is now offered by the seller on behalf of its owner in Košice, Slovakia, with photos from before and during the refurbishment process and Slovak registration.
Under the lead of chief engineer Hans Ledwinka, Tatra delved into the construction of streamlined luxury automobiles in the 1930s with input from fellow Tatra engineer Erich Übelacker and aerodynamics consultant and former dirigible designer Paul Jaray. The project resulted in the 1934 introduction of the T77, which was succeeded in 1936 by the lighter, more compact T87. Underpinned by unibody construction with a central beam that bifurcates at the rear, the T87’s bodywork reportedly registered a drag coefficient of 0.36. After a pause during the war, the model’s production continued until 1950 after the Tatra factory’s nationalization.
Styling incorporates an enveloped front end with triple headlights, a three-piece windshield, centrally hinged doors with recessed handles, a sliding sunroof, trafficators, rear wheel spats, and a tapered engine cover with a central fin flanked by louvers and air scoops. This example’s body was stripped to bare metal before undergoing welding repairs and a repaint in metallic blue during the refurbishment performed by the current owner’s restoration shop between 2010 and 2018.
Body-color wheels wear bright hubcaps and are wrapped in 6.50-16 Firestone Deluxe Champion tires, as is a matching spare housed in the front compartment. Stopping is handled by hydraulic drum brakes all around.
The cabin was re-trimmed during the refurbishment and features tan leatherette and Alcantara upholstery over seating for five as well as over the door panels. Additional characteristics include color-matched carpeting, roll-up windows, an ivory-color shift knob, storage pockets on the front doors and seatbacks, B-pillar coat hooks, a fold-down rear armrest, a cut-glass rear dome light, and a rear storage shelf that can be isolated from the cabin by an upholstered lift-up panel.
The ivory-color banjo-spoke steering wheel sits ahead of a body-color dashboard housing a glovebox, an ashtray, and instrumentation including a 180-km/h speedometer, a clock, and gauges monitoring fuel level and oil temperature. The five-digit odometer shows approximately 6k kilometers (~3,800 miles), which is said to reflect mileage driven since completion of the refurbishment. Total mileage is unknown.
The 2,969cc air-cooled V8 incorporates a cast magnesium alloy crankcase with a 90° angle between cylinder banks, separate finned cylinders, a single overhead camshaft on each bank, hemispherical combustion chambers, and a dual-throat downdraft carburetor. An oil cooler is situated in the front compartment. The engine is said to have been overhauled during the refurbishment. An oil change was performed during the first quarter of 2026.
Power is sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transaxle that is also said to have been overhauled during the project and features synchromesh on its top two gears. Suspension incorporates dual transverse leaf springs with tubular shock absorbers up front and a rear swing axle with oblique semi-elliptical leaf springs.
Images of the car before and during the refurbishment performed by the current owner can be viewed in the photo gallery below.
The car is being sold on its Slovak registration, which serves as an ownership document in the EU.