Tatra 87 Review: Generations, Specs, and Which One to Buy
Overview of the Tatra 87 sedan (1936–1950): its single generation, 60 hp 3.0-liter engine, manual gearbox, rear-wheel drive, and which version makes sense to buy.
The Tatra 87 is a rear-wheel-drive sedan produced from 1936 to 1950 in a single generation, with every version rated at 60 hp. It suits collectors and enthusiasts of pre- and post-war engineering who want a manual-gearbox classic sedan with a simple, single-specification lineup rather than a modern daily driver.
Tatra 87 generations
1 generation (1936–1950)
The first and only generation of the Tatra 87 was built from 1936 to 1950 exclusively as a sedan. The power range is flat at 60 hp, since the lineup contains just one modification. That version is the Tatra 87 3.0 MT: a 2969 cc engine producing 60 hp, paired with a manual transmission and rear-wheel drive. With one body style, one gearbox, one drivetrain layout, and one engine across a fourteen-year production run, the Tatra 87 is one of the most uniform model ranges of its era — the car a buyer got in 1936 was mechanically the same proposition as the car sold in 1950.
Which Tatra 87 to buy
- 3.0 MT (1 generation): the only modification offered, with a 2969 cc engine producing 60 hp through a manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive — there is no alternative version to weigh it against.
When buying used, the single-specification lineup works in the buyer's favor: every Tatra 87 from 1936 to 1950 shares the same 60 hp drivetrain, so there are no rare trim levels or engine variants to hunt for or accidentally overpay for. The main variable between examples is condition and production year within the 1936–1950 window, not specification.
There is no Tatra 87 version to avoid on the numbers: with a single 60 hp modification across the entire run, no variant is dominated by another. The choice comes down to the individual car, not the spec sheet.
The Tatra 87 3.0 MT (1 generation) covers the full 1936–1950 production span, and its 60 hp output defines both the floor and the ceiling of the model's power range. For anyone shortlisting a classic sedan from this period, the decision is binary — a Tatra 87 or not — which makes research simpler than for models with sprawling engine lineups.