ŠKODA is celebrating a number of important anniversaries this year. The ŠKODA 450 and 1100 OHC debuted sixty years ago, the ŠKODA Favorit has been in existence for thirty years and the ŠKODA 130 RS coupe recorded a double class victory in the Monte Carlo Rally forty years ago.
ŠKODA 130 RS in the Monte Carlo Rally: double victory in its class
Forty years ago - on Friday 28 January 1977 - the ŠKODA 130 RS won the Monte Carlo Rally in the class for cars with engines under the 1.300 cm3. Factory driver Václav Blahna and navigator Lubislav Hlávka drove the fast coupé to a twelfth place overall, with which they beat many larger and faster opponents. The second 130 RS occupied the fifteenth place in the final result. And with that, the predecessors of the current Fabia R5 wrote one of the most glorious chapters in ŠKODA's 116-year motorsport history.
ŠKODA 450: Pastor of the Felicia Roadster turns sixty
The production of the ŠKODA 450 convertible - the predecessor of the famous Felicia - started in September 1957 at the ŠKODA plant in Kvasiny. His four-cylinder engine was 1.089 cm3 large and had a capacity of 50 hp, with which the attractive 450 could achieve a top speed of 128 km / h. In total, 1.010 copies of the 450 have been built. Two thirds were exported.
ŠKODA Favorit: Had its world premiere thirty years ago
With the Favorit, the developers of ŠKODA proved that at that time a Czechoslovakian car manufacturer was what they could achieve with their dedication and craftsmanship in the last difficult years of socialism. The compact car, designed by Bertone in Italy, ran off the road with a cross-mounted front engine and front-wheel drive. That was a breakthrough for ŠKODA. The Favorit was a private product from ŠKODA. It was one of the few passenger cars in the so-called Eastern Block that was not built under license from another manufacturer.
ŠKODA Favorit: debut in 1987
The Favorit debuted on September 16, 1987 at the International Engineering Fair in Brno. The first customer cars were delivered in 1988. The Western European first was the Favorit at the Auto RAI in 1989. According to the former spokesman of ŠKODA in our country, Leo Pool, former chef Jaap van Rij made every effort to achieve this. The five-door hatchback was followed by Forman, the station variant of the Favorit. The Czechs also worked on light vans, recreational vehicles and electric models. Up to and including 1995 exactly 1.077.126 copies of the Favorit and Forman were produced. After this he was replaced by the Felicia.
The Kvasiny factory: seventy years of ŠKODA production in Eastern Bohemia
Cars have been built in Kvasiny since 1934. The first ŠKODA to leave the factory was the prestigious Superb in October 1947. After that many successful models would follow, such as the Felicia (1959 - 1964), 110 R Coupé (1970 - 1980) and the Pickup and Volkswagen Caddy Pickup (1995 - 2001). Currently the Czechs are building the Superb, Superb Combi, Yeti and Kodiaq in Kvasiny.
ŠKODA 1100 OHC: Racing car appeared on the scene sixty years ago
In December 1957 surprised ŠKODA motorsport enthusiasts with two streamlined 1100 OHC roadsters. They were equipped with an elegant and light fiberglass body. Furthermore, a steel frame appealed to the imagination. This also applied to the engine with two overhead camshafts and a double ignition. The four-cylinder was 1.089 cm3 large, had two double carburetors and produced 92 horsepower at 7.700 tours. The roadster only weighed 550 kg (without driver) and had a top speed from 190 to 200 km / h.
