Skoda milestones: the cars that defined the brand

During our run [near Norwich], the car behaved admirably, showing itself capable of maintaining a good average speed, despite an exceptionally heavy load and the fact the hood had perchance to be erected.

The efficiency of the L&K motor for its size, which never required anything below second, in spite of the [considerable] weight it had to propel, left a most favourable impression in our minds.”

Skoda goes its own way

In 1925, L&K was bought out by Pilsen’s Skoda Works (which was infamous in Britain as a major source of enemy munitions during World War I) and took the name that we know today.

Eight years later, Skoda diverged from automotive convention by building its new model atop a backbone chassis frame – a method pioneered by fellow Czechoslovakian car maker Tatra that reduced the weight of the car and afforded all-round independent suspension.

First came the Standard, but much more famous was the subsequent Popular. It was never sold officially in the UK, so Autocar never drove it, but it became a legend in central Europe.

It did at least catch our attention at the 1936 Monte Carlo Rally, as a sports version finished second in the 1.5-litre class – serving as the inspiration for today’s Monte Carlo Skodas.

Post-war revival

As Czechoslovakia transitioned from Nazi occupation to communism in the grip of the Soviets, Skoda re-emerged with reimaginings of its pre-war models.

The Popular saloon became the Tudor, then the Spartak and ultimately the Octavia – which in 1960 was the subject of Autocar’s first-ever Skoda road test, after Mladá Boleslav finally resumed UK exports.

“Responsive and lively, the four-cylinder engine had a high noise level, the valve gear in particular being noticeable,” we said. “It was also far from smooth, and even irritating when high revs had to be sustained. Once in its stride on the open road, the Octavia’s progress is more restful.

“Over deeply rutted and potholed tracks, it behaved extremely well; even on stretches which caused the front suspension to rise against the bump stops it felt taut and rigid. Steering is high-geared, and has a peculiar ‘stickiness’.

“At present, the Czechs must concentrate on essentials; so far as the Octavia is concerned, it does give the essentials of cheap family motoring. Its basic design and rugged construction ensure a fitness for purpose that is the car’s strongest quality.”

A year later, we evaluated our second, very different but closely related Skoda: a cute two-door convertible. “It lacks some of the comfort and finish that many home motorists expect,” we declared, but “for those who have to do a certain amount of cross-country motoring, and for trials enthusiasts who expect their car to stand up to anything, the Felicia does merit consideration.”

Rear-engined era

Skoda spent almost a decade planning an all-new car for the 1960s. Of the many proposals considered, the victor was, in a break from company tradition, rear-engined and rear-driven.

At the 1000MB’s 1964 unveiling, chief engineer Frantisek Sajdl told Autocar that “the main reason was the low variation in axle rates which can be achieved with this layout under different conditions of loading, coupled with more efficient braking and good utilisation of available space.

Production costs were also lower compared with a front-wheel-drive design.” Fifty prototypes were built, amassing three million test miles from Moscow in winter to the desert of Azerbaijan, and an unprecedented £50 million investment made in a new factory and tooling.

The economy and performance of the 1.0-litre four and the amount of space and kit offered earned our praise, tempered by the saloon’s choppy and bouncy suspension, pronounced oversteer, noisiness and poor finish. Overall, we could see it attracting plenty of small car buyers.

As Western firms moved their driven axles forward and their dynamic standards improved in kind, we became more critical of subsequent Skoda iterations. The S100L’s behaviour on a gusty motorway was “hazardous and tiring in the extreme as well as embarrassing”, we said in 1970, and by 1977 we considered the 120L’s handling characteristics an outright danger.

Yet engineers kept on improving the design, widening the track, changing the damper and spring rates and fitting better tyres, such that our verdict of the restyled saloon that appeared in 1986 read: “In the past, Skoda has had to bear the brunt of much criticism in terms of the general dynamics and road manners of its vehicles, but the term ‘Surprising Skoda’ used in current advertising campaigns is certainly very apt.

"The 120LSE turns out to be a far more convincing car than its predecessors, more in tune with demands of motorists used to driving European cars. It now handles consistently, steers with little effort and is generally easy to control.”

Modernisation at Last

The rear-engined series was at long last retired in 1987, its replacement a front-engined, front-driven hatchback. Virtually every part was fresh and Bertone, Porsche and Ricardo were hired to do the design, suspension and engine respectively.

By this point, a quarter of Skodas were sold in the UK, by far the brand’s largest export market. It must have been pleased with this verdict on the Favorit, then: “It really is an Escort-sized car for less than the price of a Fiesta.

But it is also a well-balanced car with a thoroughly competent chassis and a willing engine. If it lacks some of the quirky charisma of the established Skoda, it compensates by being faster and more nimble and feeling altogether more modern and roomy. The only real letdown is the shoddy cabin trim and dubious detailing.”

Matters improved even more after the Velvet Revolution brought down the Czechoslovakian communists and Volkswagen bought into Skoda with grand plans for its transformation.

The first fruit was the Felicia, a Favorit heavily updated with a fresh look, modern safety measures and VW engines. “The Felicia is not only good enough to be mentioned in the same sentence as Fiat Puntos and Peugeot 106s but is also good enough to be put forward as a credible rival to VW’s brilliant Polo, albeit at entry level,” we said.

“In fact, the less expensive Felicias are four-star cars. At the lower price, there’s nothing that can touch this reborn Skoda.” An unimaginable reality just a few years prior, this represented a dazzling new dawn.

Expression of confidence

Three years later came the first Skoda developed entirely under Volkswagen’s auspices – and, in our words, “the Octavia is a perfect example of when the parts bin really works in favour of car buyers.

"It’s unlike anything Skoda has ever built, but the price is still rock bottom. And the buzz within the company must be electric. The only tangible aspect the Octavia lacks beside its established rivals is, of course, image.

"The jokes stopped when the Favorit became the Felicia. Now it’s time to get really serious.” The Octavia went on to prove that Skoda hadn’t forgotten how to entertain drivers, either, as it became the basis for the first RS (later vRS) performance model.

It couldn’t beat Subaru’s hot Impreza, but then nothing could. “There isn’t another car on sale that can match its outrageous blend of space, pace, price and practicality,” we swooned. “The catch?

Apart from the slightly inert steering, there just isn’t one as far as we’re concerned. Which makes this one of the most sensational performance car bargains, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

Little wonder this reborn company had the confidence over the next two decades to venture into many more unfamiliar fields, from executive cars to MPVs, 4x4s to crossovers and plug-in hybrids to electric vehicles.