And now for something completely different...
In 2006 in the US newspaper, the Daily Telegraph, photos of this car were printed in the motoring section searching for clues
on its history and the "experts" all went insane trying to figure it out. Eventually a reader who knew the original owner chimed in to set the record straight.
The car is called the Sokol (which is Russian for Falcon) and it was the brainchild of Stanislaw Tatar.
Tatar was from Poland and fought for the Allies in WW2 and retired to Scotland where he worked at a body shop
learning the trade of panel beating. Nine years later he moved to what was then Rhodesia and went into the truck building business.
In 1970 he conceived this car and started construction using a VW floorpan and suspension. The body was made at his truck works
in Rhodesia and is all rolled steel except for the front hood which is aluminum. In 1977 when he moved to England, he brought
the nearly completed car with him and proceeded to finish it off. It was first titled and registered in England in 1978.
The car went through some changes during the years, both in the hands of Stanislaw, and then his young son Roman
who added extraordinary electronics and gadgets which at some point in the 80's were all functional. In 1994, Roman passed away and his father
Stanislaw returned to Poland and left the car with his older son John. John put it into storage and it remained in hibernation for years.
In 2006 it re-surfaced and the publication of the article put the spotlight back on the car. Once the mystery was solved and the history known,
it was put up for auction at a Bonhams sale in London in December of 2006. From that point it has changed hands a couple times
buy has yet to return to the road...it remains a dream car that is still dreaming...just waiting to wake up and have a new life.
The photos above are images of the car in 2006
Below are the images of the car as it sits today.
Today the car has been cleaned up slightly and hit with the lowering stick.
A narrowed, adjustable front end has been installed and the rear suspension set to a ridiculous height.
I still don't understand the desire to take such a special car and "slam it" other than for pure
shock value, but fortunately this can be put back to a more normal height without lasting harm.
A type 1 VW engine is tucked in the back with a header and no muffler...I assume the
same butchers that slammed it ran an obnoxious erect stinger megaphone out the back
to draw even more attention and horror from all within its presence.
The Tatar son went wild with his electronics in the car
as visible under the dash at the left. The odd steering wheel with its flat plate center was
best described by a forum reader as the predecessor to the air bag called the "iron pillow"...
Countless switches and lights
Umm... OK.
Another mystery keypad is tucked behind the front license plate...very sneaky.
Access to the engine room is quite nice.
The car at one point had a water cooled Toyota engine in it mated to the stock VW transaxle.
Now it is fitted with what appears to be a 1600cc.
Interior is a mess but the futuristic front seats are super interesting.
Spaghetti fest behind the "iron pillow" as well as under the dash.
This is all mounted in the passenger side door.
Steering column detail...not sure exactly what is going on here. Looks like a tilt mechanism
and who knows what else.
Fortunately the basis of everything is surprisingly solid.
A little surface rust, but the floors are very good
Really solid car, especially for England!
Pop out quarter windows.
Padded visors and overhead console
Rear hatch release is tucked into the door jam
With the interior out you can get a glimpse of the construction of the car.
Not flawless, but structurally sound.
Steel framework under the front hood, aluminum skin
Pedal assembly
A little rust underneath the vinyl material in the drip line of the rear hatch
easy area to patch and treat.
Front suspension and under-hood areas
Steering column detail
Supporting hinge mechanism for the rear hatch
Fantastic intake grilles on the top
Tiny spot of rust at the back edge of the rocker panel
Rear end and taillights are nicely styled
Door jams and hinge areas seem strong and solid
Looks like the rear window has a wiper as well.
The vinyl top material is in surprisingly good shape.
Definitely a unique machine.
Id love to see this on the road and watch the necks turn and the jaws drop.
"What the hell IS that thing??"
Vinyl top is holding up surprisingly well
Nice hood edge detail for the wiper clearance,
The car really has some stylish elements to it.
The chrome on the front bumper/grille area does need to be redone.
The headlights in this recess were a part of the original design , but were deemed too low
by the authorities during the registration process, so the flip up headlights above were installed.
The chassis seems quite solid underneath which is a treat.
The front beam can be easily swapped back to a stock unit bringing the wheels back out into the arches
and the height back to a drive-able level.
Just getting some nice clean bright wheels on this car will be a massive improvement!
So cool ... the Sokol
Bring your trailer and your imagination and make this dream machine a show stopper once again.
If you want to stand out in the crowd and be the only one at the next event with a Sokol...this is your once in a lifetime chance.
Car is located in England.
Proper paperwork is in order and shipping can be arranged to anywhere in the world.
Asking
$9,750 obo
For More Info...CALL
951 767 1600
or email oldbug@earthlink.net