A comprehesive look at Paul Greenstein/Dydia De Lyser’s restored Tatra by Don Hodgdon.
Mr. Greenstein’s car, a 1941 T87 was an Ebay find from Upstate New York in 2001. After a three-and-a-half year restoration, including returning the car to Koprivnice in the Czech Republic, the car now resides in Southern California where it is driven weekly.
Paul Greenstein received the Tatra in this condition. Photo courtesy Paul Greenstein.
The T87, considered a luxury car in its day, is quite comfortable and quiet cruising the streets of Los Angeles. We experienced very little buffeting with the windows lowered on the freeway, and the low rumble from the rear mounted air-cooled V8 engine never intruded on our conversation. The T87, with its huge dorsal fin and center-mounted headlight, draws a fair amount of attention, even in car crazy L.A., many drivers stopping to admire the car and ask questions about it while we were stopped to shoot photos. It was not at all a surprise to learn that Mr. Greenstein’s car was voted “Most Collectable” in a recent poll of New York Times readers.