Three oceans, two Tatras, one trip of a lifetime

[Bryan]

Twenty years ago, a traveler headed north on the Dempster Highway in the Canadian Yukon might have been shocked to stumble over an alien craft. The vehicle gleamed silver against the sparse greenery of an Arctic summer landscape, finned and louvered and looking like it had just landed amid a plume of rocket exhaust. But it was not a UFO. It was a 1947 Tatra T87, partway through a journey of more than 10,000 miles. If we’re honest, aliens would be a less crazy story.

Read the full article on Hagerty.com:

https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/three-oceans-two-tatras-one-trip-of-a-lifetime/

[DavidHolzman]

I first saw a Tatra in Czechoslovakia in 1966. Somewhere I even have a few photos of Tatras in Czechoslovakia that I took with my brownie box camera. That happened on the trans-Europe car trip with my family of origin in the Peugeot 404 wagon that's posted here under road trips and/or driving.

The next time I saw a Tatra--three or four of them, actually, was probably '93, at the big car show in Rockville MD, outside of DC, that happens every October. I'm sure I took photos of those, too--with a much better camera. I've seen one, I think, since then. 

Very interesting cars, with interesting history. Fun story! 

[tvsmith]

Great read looking forward to moor 

THANKYOU

John D Smith   OLD CAR NUT

[Ragster]

I had the extreme good fortune of finding 4 Tatras hidden in an old Volvo service garage not more than 15 minutes of my home. The 4 Tatras 2 T-87 V8s 1938-39 and 2 1950's T-600s......had been in there for 50 yrs or more..and had the good fortune ( after dogging the place for weeks ) of getting many photos of the cars being pulled out and seeing daylight after 50 yrs......for their journey back to the Czech Republic to a serious Tatra collector back there.

[Maestro1]

Wonderful. Thank you.

[intact]

As I read it they went "...from Boston to Vancouver, up to Inuvik - approximately 60 miles from the Arctic Ocean - and back again."
Do I take it from this that they did not dip wheels in the Arctic?

[brians356]

Uh, the fabulous Harrah's Automobile Collection was in Reno, not Las Vegas.

Doesn't Jay Leno own a T87? Surprised that's not mentioned here.

[35]

Interesting read and a tough trip at least the Dempster highway portion. I live in a community at mile 54 Alaska hi-way and know the northern road systems quite well. One picture of Hyder caught my attention you must of travelled highway 37 which is not the Alaska Hi-way but rather another route through BC that connects to the Alaska Hi-way just north of Watson Lake. A quick look at any Bc map will show that. All in all a very interesting read and would have been a great trip.

[57]

35 is correct. I've been up and down the Alaska Hwy several times. The Mile '0' Post is Dawson Creek, BC, not Hyder even though that sign in Hyder says so. Apparently, some Hyder citizens want to steal the 'Thunder' from their neighbors in Dawson Creek....LOL !

[cultleader]

Twenty years ago I drove to Alaska in 2000. Don’t remember seeing a Tatra though.

[brb]

Very cool trip and an excellent story. Hope to see more.