After four years of begging (UPDATE III: 1935 not 1937!)

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Hampton Wayt, who is a fanatic collector of early streamline automobiles, finds himself with a new project, the 1935 Tatra T77a you see here. It’s a two-headlight car that someone later converted to three headlights. Hampton plans to convert it back when he will restore the car. It took him four years of begging to buy the car, but then the problems started. When he imported the Tatra, the US government confiscated it because the shipper had used untreated wood as bracing around the wheels. Customs wanted to ship the car back to Europe, but due to international laws that wasn’t possible even though the wood originally came from Europe. In the end the problem was resolved although at enormous cost. The Tatra now sits quietly in his garage, so Hampton is a happy man. Do visit his website Tatrapedia with wonderful photos and information.

Update III: We asked Hampton Wayt for his comments and here’s what he wrote: “Please thank Mr. Bowers for his concern, but Mr. Kubista is correct. There are two round welded areas on the hood and front panel where the original chrome lights protruded. Inside the compartment, the original wood and metal bracing to support the two chrome lights still exists. In person it is quite obvious that the presently featured three headlights are not a factory job. The left one even aims at the ground! It is not known when the conversion took place, but the obvious intention was to "update" the car to look more like the later style T77s or a T87. Such modifications are quite common to cars found behind the "Iron Curtain" because new cars were not available for purchase and existing cars had to be driven for decades. Many modifications were due to a lack of availability of original equipment. Others were done by the owners to suite their personal taste. Also, please tell Mr. Kubista not to worry - the car came from Austria and not the Czech Republic.”
Update II by Josef Kubista from the Czech Republic: "Two comments on the US T77a. I'm not an expert in Tatra's but with just careful study of pictures in Tatrapedia I agree that the depicted car could originally be a two-headlight car as there seem to be round, possibly welded areas in the front protruding into luggage space cover. That can be confirmed by owner only. Furthermore the three-headlight shells look very very deep/long than those shown on T77 in Tatrapedia, looks more like those used on T87. Also, pity to see such nice car leaving the Czech Republic :-) "
Update by Roger Bowers: “I think Hampton Wayt is incorrect in identifying his "new" Tatra. The 1935 Tatra T77 is, indeed, a two-headlight car, but I do not believe that is what he has. It is probably a 1937 model, which came equipped with three headlights. If Mr. Hampton removes the centre light, he would not be restoring a modified car, but destroying a proper one.”

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