Spotted in Jay Leno's garage: Tatra T87?

[MetroMPG]

It's hard not to be a fan of http://jaylenosgarage.com - the videos are a great way to learn about the man's wide ranging collection - everything from steam power to early electrics to motorcycles to classic collectibles to supercars to wild customs. After the brief history lessons, look inside & under the hood, the best part is of course taking the machines out for a drive in LA traffic.

I just watched the video of his Chrysler Airflow, and noticed that it's parked beside what appears to be the famously aerodynamic Tatra T87:



Maybe he'll eventually post a video about this car and we'll have a closer look at it in action.

Video link of the Airflow, parked beside the Tatra: http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/video/...tml?vid=188089

[aerohead]

Way fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MetroMPG]

Confirmed - it's a Tatra T87. There's a video up at Leno's site. I haven't seen it yet (I'm on dial-up at the moment), but I'm looking forward to it:

Jay Leno's Garage

[Big Van]

Whoa, that thing rules. Suicide doors in the front? Nice.

A question for those in the aerodynamic-know: is that fin functional in any way? I mean, aside from making the car look like the batmobile? (Not that there's anything wrong with cars looking like the batmobile. In a perfect world, all of them would.)

[Bror Jace]

I can't believe the fin does anything.

There are a few F1 cars that are currently sporting a 'dorsal' fin and after talking about it, the commentators (one a former F1 mechanic) surmise that all it does is straighten out airflow over the rear (horizontal) wing. Since a Tatra doesn't have one, it's moot.

[bikin' Ed]

On very light vehicles, crosswinds can be a major hinderance. A "dorsal" fin on the rear keeps the nose into the wind. Thus making it more stable.