Here’s a strange one - the Tatra 603. Made in Czechoslovakia, the 603 was actually well before its time when first designed in the fifties. The company has been going strong for almost as long as Benz, although they gave up making cars in the nineties, preferring to concentrate on their successful truck range.

But Tatra began its tradition of rear-engined vehicles in the thirties, even Dr Ferdinand Porsche “borrowing” heavily from Tatra designs in the design of his Volkswagen. The 603 was one of these rear-engined curiosities.

But the uniqueness of the 603 does not end with its unusual positioning of the power plant. The engine was an air-cooled 2.5 liter V8! Okay, it only produced 95 bhp but imagine all that weight swinging around behind the back axle. The handling was spectacular at speed as a result - but it did not matter too much since only the top party officials and factory managers could afford to have one. They were interested in luxury rather than performance and the 603 delivered in that area.

Those Czechs know how to put together a good car, in spite of the undeserved reputation of the old Skodas, and Tatra was no exception. The company holds a number of impressive records, as well as Dr Porsche’s respect - it is the third oldest car manufacturer in the world and was the first to introduce a body influenced by aerodynamics.