The Tatra 623 is a 4-door sedan from Tatra, built from 1980 to 1998, in the age of turbocharging and the first electronic engine management. Under the bonnet: 3.5 L V8 engine.
How it came about
The T-623 is a Czech rear-engined car, which was manufactured by Tatra. It was designed as a rapid response vehicle for use in motorsport and civilian operations. The car was based on second-hand Tatra 613-2 model, which was originally modified by AMK Narex (since 1992 Narimex) who specialized in rescue operations. This business had been set up by former racer, Cyril Svoboda, who was notorious for having adapted a Lancia Beta for rescue duties. In 1984, AMK Narex had produced six T-623. The success of the T-623 resulted in Tatra carrying out further modifications, in collaboration with Narex and Kovoslužba rescue organizations. Because of the need of organizers for a car capable of keeping up with F1 cars on the opening race, the then T-623 was further developed into the 2-seat, lightweight and more powerful T-623 R.
It led to a fleet of eight cars being used in Formula One as the safety cars at the inaugural 1986 Hungarian Grand Prix. The latest Hungarian Grand Prix that T-623 R took part in was held in 1995, where Taki Inoue was hit by the car. The car now featured a 3.8-Litre V8 engine producing over 300 hp (220 kW), and was capable of a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). Its features included: a removable steering wheel and racing seats; adjustable and lowered suspension; upgraded braking system and tyres. Its aluminum fenders, hood, and doors, plus plexiglass windows, contributed to a kerb weight of 1,270 kg (2,800 lb) or a significant weight reduction of 350 kg (771 lbs). The rescue cars were eventually replaced mostly by modified Škoda Octavia models. Nevertheless, the
The hardware
Power comes from 3.5 L V8 engine; other versions carried different engines, listed in the specification table below. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Family and rivals
Its family tree is legible: it took over from the Tatra 613; assembly was at Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic: Příbor, Moravia. Its contemporaries in the catalogue — the Audi Quattro, the Dodge Ram, the Lancia Delta — show what else the money bought that year. Its Tatra stablemates include the Tatra 10 and the Tatra 600 kabriolet.
What it costs now
There is no federal ownership record for the Tatra 623 — it predates the complaint database or was never sold in the United States — so MotorJury publishes no running-cost figure for it. For a car of this age the price is set by the collector market and the condition of the individual example, not by a formula.