1934 Tatra T77

For those of you with world domination aspirations in 2023, you’re going to need to invest in a vehicle aesthetically fitting for a super-villain and we can think of few better candidates for the job than this, frankly rather spectacular, 1934 Tatra T77 that is going under the hammer with RM Sotheby’s.

The 1934 Tatra T77 is an intriguing, exceptionally rare, and highly influential Czechoslovakian luxury car that was hand-built in limited numbers so there definitely won’t be many more of these knocking about on the open road, that’s for sure. This lot from RM Sotheby’s is one of just 106 T77 examples produced from 1934–1936; one of just five restored and drivable T77s known to still be existence.

The Tatra boasts a fascinating engineering brief, that includes a rear-mounted, air-cooled V-8 engine and startlingly low-drag bodywork that has to be seen in person to be believed. This stunning machine has benefitted from a complete restoration carried out in 2022 at a total cost of over $1 million so, as you’d expect, it is presented in a remarkably good condition both inside and out.

Billed as a masterpiece of streamlined Art Deco design and forward-thinking engineering, the 1934 Tatra T77 has a futuristic, low-to-the-ground appearance that was determined by then-radical streamlining principles, with its designers seeking to maximise efficiency and high-speed performance by reducing the vehicle’s drag.

The decade-long restoration of this sensational steed involved a team of experts both within the United States and abroad and was carried without any concern for cost—only the quality and accuracy of the work performed. Remarkably, by the time International Auto Restoration of Oak Lawn, Illinois completed the decade-long resurrection of this car, over $1 million had been invested in the rebuild.

Wonderfully rare and impeccably and painstakingly restored, this 1934 Tatra T77 offers its next owner unparalleled potential for exhibition and touring worldwide, and it would make for a particularly worthy addition to any collection of historically significant classic cars.

Leo Davie