Tatra: 1969-1997

In about 1969/70 the Vignale-styled T613 entered production. Capable of 200 km/h, the luxury automobile, initially with a 2980 mm wheelbase, was powered by a new 166 bhp 3.5 V8 which was again rear-mounted (above the axle to be precise, and a bit more forward than in the previous practice). These sizeable automobiles, much like the T603s, have usually been owned by dignitaries and state officials.

Tatra T613 was replaced by the T613S in 1976, which had a detuned top speed of 190 km/h and a lengthened wheelbase of 3,130 mm. In 1986, the T613-3 version was introduced and produced until the early 1990s, when the modernized T613-4 entered production. The T613-4 featured a fuel-injected engine (taking up more space than the carburetted version), a catalytic converter, and other upgrades.

A prototype T613 coupe, it did not enter production 

In 1992 Tatra became a company of the Czech Republic due to the split up of Czechoslovakia. It is not apparent when the company was privatized but this may have happened around that time.

A prototype of a supercar called the MTX-01 was displayed by Tatra in 1993. No production plans have been confirmed for this 250 km/h 2-seater powered by a mid-mounted 220 bhp V8. The Czech MTX (short for Metalex) was famous for its "racing-spec" Lada conversions so it was obvious that they were asked to complete the car

The T613 was also available in various other versions, including an ambulance and a runway surface friction tester. In ambulance form, the T613 was only available with the carbureted engine since the fuel-injected version was too tall to fit, requiring an exemption from emission standards. The Friction Tester (TFT-613-4A) was a T613 fitted by Bazala Autoengineering Sro of the Czech Republic and had reportedly been used by several airports around the world (such as Stuttgart and Orlando, Florida) and by NASA. Additionally, a special version of the T613 was sometimes used as a Safety Car (with fire-fighting capability) on one or more Formula One tracks, such as the Hungaroring.

In the spring of 1996, a new Tatra model, the T700, was introduced. It looked like a heavily modernized T613 with a completely redesigned front end, and they did a nice job. The T700 was powered by the same 3.5-litre fuel-injected V8. Like the T613, it was very luxurious and offered several options such as Recaro seats, a VCR, a TV, a telephone, and leather upholstery. The interior was drastically remodelled and better insulated from engine noise. Some mechanical improvements were also made. (See Auto Option for more information about the T700. Take a look at the front and back of the 1996 brochure of the Tatra 700.)

It appears that for 1997 there is a special 2-door coupe version (with a wheelbase of 2980mm) of the T700. Its engine is based on the classic T613 air-cooled V8, but of 4.5-litre capacity, with an output of 302 kW @ 8000 rpm and 490 Nm @ 6800 revs. Maximum speed is 316 kph, acceleration to 100 takes 5 seconds and 18 seconds to reach 200 kph. Tyres were 245/50 R15 at the front, and 300/50 R15 at the rear. This coupe was made to order and cost roughly 3,000,000 CZK (just a little over USD 100,000).