20 things you did not know about ... SKODA
Did you know that Škoda is one of only four auto builders set up before 1900? This and another 19 interesting information in the new episode "Did You Know ..."
The story of the two Czechs who founded the company, Vaclav Laurin and Vaclav Klement, started when Klement needed spare parts for his German bike and had no place to buy them. The lack of interest shown by the German bicycle manufacturer made them both start repairing and producing bicycles. The Germans refused to offer Klement a solution to his problem, motivating the fact that I do not understand the language in which he wrote that letter.
Starting in 1890, the two started producing bicycles, and nine years later they started making motorcycles. The motorcycles produced by the two were considered very successful, with a few victories in the competitions of that time.
Skoda is one of the world's four carmakers that were set up before 1900.
In the year when they began producing cars in 1905, the company sold vehicles under the name Laurin & Klement, and the first model was called Voiturette A. In 1925, Laurin & Klement merged with Pizen Skodova and changed its name to Skoda.
Besides bicycles and motorcycles, Škoda has also produced airplanes, but also agricultural machinery such as motorized plows.
Although the company was called Škoda, all the models manufactured until 1929 retained the name Laurin & Klement. Subsequently, all the models manufactured by the company were sold under the Škoda brand. However, in the years following the takeover of Volkswagen, some Skoda models have also been awarded the Laurin & Klement call sign for the top-of-the-line equipment.
The Octavia name entered the Czech Republic's nomenclature replacing the classic Skoda 440. "Octavia" was not a person's name, but meant that this was the eighth model developed by the Czech manufacturer since the end of the Second World War.
The British naval vessel, Queen Mary, had many components manufactured by the Czech manufacturer Skoda.
Although they were extremely poor in terms of quality, the Skoda 105/120 models managed to win many victories in the 1970s and 1990s in the Rally Championship in England. Specifically, the Skoda models won the title in the class they competed for 17 years in a row. The competition models were equipped with a 1,289 cubic engine, which developed 130 hp - an impressive literary power for that time.
Volkswagen is not the first German group to enter Skoda. Until the takeover of 1991, the manufacturer was taken over during the Second World War by the German army occupying Czechoslovakia. At that time, the Skoda factory was named "Hermann Goering Werke".
At the time of joining the Volkswagen Group, Skoda was the fourth brand in the German portfolio, after Volkswagen, Audi and Seat.
Skoda has deep links in sponsoring various competitions or sports teams. The Czech brand is one of the first companies to "rebote" a football team in the world. It happened in 1991 in Greece. Since then, Xanthi's football team has been officially named Xanthi Skoda.
Skoda is the official partner of the World Ice Hockey World Championship event, which the Czech company joined its name in 2009 for the 17th consecutive time.
Skoda's connection with sport does not stop here. Beginning with 2004, Skoda is the main partner of the most important annual event in the cycling world, the Tour de France. The Czech brand makes available to the officials and guests from the Tour de caravan about 250 copies of the models in its range. Besides, Skoda is the main sponsor of the white T-shirt, which is the best youngster under 25 years of age in the Tour de France.
Skoda has a very good reputation in the UK since the 1980s, and the Czech brand clients have nominated the Skoda brand in the top positions of the J.D. Power of the 2000s.
Skoda presented at the 2006 edition of the Paris Motor Show the concept of a compact three-door sporty design. Unfortunately, this model has never been in production. The design of this model was heavily inspired by Roomster's, and the Czech manufacturer could easily attack the segment of the three-door sports compact.
Unfortunately, for the Czechs at Skoda, the brand's reputation has not been as good over the years, especially in some European countries. For example, Skoda benches were extremely popular in Poland in the 1960s-1970s. These were focused on the low reliability of the MB1000, which was called by the Poles as "the 1,000-model model."
The Skoda Octavia version launched in 1996 was the first model of the Czech manufacturer that could also be equipped with an automatic transmission. This model was the response of Volkswagen to the cheap automobile case produced and developed in China. In 1999, Octavia became the first Skoda model available with traction
Skoda factory in Mlada Boleslav is considered to be one of the most efficient factories in Europe, despite the fact that it is not extremely automated. One of the advantages of this plant is the natural light present in abundance in all areas of the plant, something specially demanded by company employees.
Promoting the first generation of the Skoda Octavia in the UK cost nearly £ 12 million. The biggest challenge for Czech sales agents was to convince potential customers to test this model on the road. Britons who have owned a Skoda have shown themselves extremely interested in these tests, and many of them have bought a new Octavia in favor of their old Skoda.