By Hooniverse[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpuweiODHw4[/youtube]
As its name implies, the Iron Curtain didn’t let much stuff into Eastern Europe during the Cold War, and it didn’t let much out. Case in point: Most Czechoslovakians in 1956 knew nothing of Western luxury cars like the Cadillac Sixty Special or the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, while most Westerners didn’t know anything about Czech car- and truck-maker Tatra’s brand new flagship, the 603. Of course, if we capitalist pigs had known about the 603, we all probably would have died of exploded brains, leaving the Soviet Bloc without anyone with which to play ICBM chicken.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP_7WyAqRps[/youtube]
And why would all the Ike-liking noggins have gone kerblamo? Let’s review. Buck Rogers-set-decoration-worthy styling? Yep. Rear-mounted, air-cooled 2.5L hemi V8? Uh-huh. Kitschy marketing reel with a plot centered on a dapper gent and the daughter of a political dissident he had sent to the bottom of the Danube his wife making a pilgrimage to play in the snow? Yeah buddy!
Still not in lust? Leno has a pre-war T87. Maybe that’s more your speed. Regardless of which Tatra car tickles your fancy, you can be sure that every journey in one will be a happy journey.
Ross Ballot 
Kamil Kaluski
And they made lovely rally/race cars too
Team Tatra at the 1960 Monte Carlo Rally
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3368/3635425913_4150a2d0e0_o.jpg>
Team Tatra at the 1967 Marathon De La Route
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At the 1960 Monte Carlo Rally
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3368/3635425913_4150a2d0e0_o.jpg">
I like how they show how stable it is when you've had too much vodka.
This is the difference between the Soviet era and the Nazis. The Wermacht eventually banned officers from driving T87s because they had a tendency to kill themselves with them, especially if they'd had too much to drink. I wouldn't be surprised if drunk driving was part of the curriculum for WarPac OCS.
It is a common dream to live in a world where the only limits are your own and your machine's. But even with the eternal attempts at regulation in our own world, capability is opportunity, and great feats are performed solely for the sake of fulfilling potential. As movement is restricted and controlled, freedom takes the form of oversteer and the defiance of authority. My hat is off to these bold filmmakers; we can only hope their message was well received.
Holy Jebus, man! That is simply beautiful!!
That was awesome. Now pass the Kleenex!