- The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. The correct title is Škoda.
Škoda Auto is the leading automobile manufacturer in the Czech Republic, now part of the Volkswagen Group (VAG). Škoda is a participant in the World Rally Championship, initially using the Octavia but now using the Fabia.
History
Established in 1895 as Laurin & Klement, the company started manufacturing bicycles. In 1899 it added motorcycles and in 1905 cars. The first model, Voiturette A, was a success and the company was established both within Austria-Hungary and internationally. During the First World War it was engaged in war production.
After the war it began producing trucks, but running into problems and hit by a fire in 1924 the company sought a strong partner. In 1925 it succeeded, merging with Škoda Works, the biggest industrial enterprise in Austria-Hungary and then Czechoslovakia. Most later production was under the Škoda name. After a decline during the economic depression, Škoda was again successful with models such as the Popular in the late 1930s.
Unfortunate years came for Škoda when Czechoslovakia was occupied and the whole Škoda works was turned into part of Hermann Göring Werke serving the German World War II effort.
After WWII economic freedom did not return to Czechoslovakia, Škoda became part of the planned economy and was separated from parent Škoda company. In spite of unfavourable political conditions and losing contact with technical development in noncommunist countries, Škoda retained a good reputation until the 1960s, producing models such as the Škoda 440 Spartak, 445 Octavia, Felicia and Škoda 1000 MB. Škoda was internationally known for building very tough and reliable cars.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Škoda lost touch with world development, together with the whole of communist-governed Czechoslovakian industy going backward. In the late 1980s Škoda (then named Automobilové závody, národní podnik, Mladá Boleslav) was still manufacturing cars conceptually from the 1960s. In western Europe, the models from the 1980s and the early 1990s gave Škoda a poor reputation, a common joke of the time being "Q: How do you double the value of a Škoda? A: Fill the tank with petrol".
The turning point came in 1987 with the Favorit model. The Favorit's appearance was designed by Italian design company Bertone and with some motor technology licensed from western European companies, Škoda engineers succeeded in designing a car comparable to western production. The technological gap was still there, but began closing rapidly. While still the target of jokes in the West, the Favorits were very popular in Czechoslovakia and other Eastern Bloc countries.
The Velvet Revolution brought great changes to both the politics and economy of Czechoslovakia, and most industries were subject to privatization. In the case of Škoda automobile the government decided to go the fortunate way of bringing in a strong foreign partner. VAG was chosen in 1990 and on 16 April 1991 Škoda become the fourth brand of VAG. Example of other Eastern-Bloc automobile manufacturers such as Lada-AutoVAZ and Zastava, and of Škoda works, once Škoda auto parent company, prove this was the right decision. (Privatization to a major German company was somewhat controversial at the time the decision was made.)
Backed by VW knowhow and investments the design—both style and engineering—has improved greatly. The 1996 model Felicia was still based on the floorplan of the Favorit, but quality made huge improvements and in the Czech Republic the car was very popular as it was excellent value for money. The subsequent models Octavia and Fabia finally made their way to the demanding EU markets. They are built on common VAG floorpans, e.g. Octavia on the Golf floorplan and therefore directly related to the VW Golf, Audi A3 and SEAT León. Possibly the next challenge for Škoda was to maintain some independence of the parent Volkswagen group. It is hard to measure what portion of Škodas are still Škodas and what VW, but in 2004 it seems that a significant part of the engineering and development is still made in Mlada Boleslav.
Perception of Škoda in what was Western Europe has changed completely. While technical development went gradually, Škoda's image changed almost overnight, for some observers. Škoda now uses this change in reputation as part of their advertising, with the slogan: "It is a Škoda, honest." In a 2003 advertisement on British television, a new employee on the production line is fitting Škoda badges on the car bonnets. When some attractive looking cars come along he stands back, not fitting the badge, since they are too good to be Škodas.
Models - Fabia
- Favorit
- Felicia
- Octavia
- Roomster
- Superb
- 422 (1929)
- 633 (1931)
- Popular (1934)
- Rapid (1934)
- Tudor (1946)
- Sedan (1952)
- Spartak (1955)
- MB1000/1100 (1964)
- S100/110 (1969)
- 105/120 (1975)
- 130-136
- Winnetou
Škoda Works Škoda Works was the biggest industrial enterprise in Austria-Hungary and then Czechoslovakia and among the biggest in Europe. Founded by Emil Škoda in 1899 in Plzeň it soon became the leading arms manufacturer in the country producing heavy guns for navy, mountain guns or mortars as well as locomotives, aircraft, ships, machine tools, steam turbines, power-engineering equipment, etc. Škoda produced the world's first triple-barrelled gun turrets for the Viribus Unitis class of battleships of the Austro-Hungarian navy. Prior to World War II and during the occupation by Nazi Germany Škoda also produced LT-35 and LT-38 tanks, which are better known under their German labels Panzer 35(t) and Panzer 38(t).
Mountain guns produced by Škoda:
Other weapons produced by Škoda: The present-day company specializes in heavy machinery (such as nuclear reactors and locomotives). Mismanagement and lack of technological progress had weakened the company to only a shadow of its past glory.
Pity As an interesting aside, Škoda (i.e. the family name of Emil Škoda, the enterpreneur who bought the firm in 1869) happens to mean also damage or "pity" in Czech. Consequently, "To je škoda" can mean either "It's a pity" or "That's a Škoda".
See also
External links - Škoda Auto (http://www.skoda-auto.com/)
- History and future of Škoda (http://samvak.tripod.com/brief-skoda01.html), by Sam Vaknin
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