Happy 130th, Skoda: how we covered brand's big moments

"Elegant and beautifully designed body ensures perfect comfort. Independent front and rear suspension allows high cruising speeds even on bad roads.

The synchromesh gearchange under the steering wheel adds to the ease of handling. One shot lubrication keeps maintenance costs low". A full brand awareness campaign began after a local distributor, LC Rawlence of Surrey, was appointed four years later.

1964

In celebration of Skoda's 70th anniversary, Autocar (now minus the definite article) finally visited Mladá Boleslav. The old factory "had been bursting at the seams for some time", due to the Octavia's popularity, so a new building was erected - at an estimated cost of £50 million to produce the first all-new Skoda in three decades.

"It is equipped with the best machinery from all over the world," we reported, adding "the Westernised 1000MB is another symbol of the rapprochement taking place".

1974-1977

Skoda returned to motorsport in a big way in the 1960s-on the other side of the Iron Curtain there was even Formula Skoda for single-seater juniors. In 1974 we sampled a Skoda created for British Super Saloon racing: an S110R Coupé with the running gear and mid-mounted Chevrolet V8 from an old Formula 5000 car-mad but "of a piece".

Then in 1977 we tried the "skilfully homologated" 130RS works rally car "a quick machine for 1300cc, likened to a good twin-cam Ford Escort by those who have experienced both". We found "the rear engine gives it good traction but a tendency to understeer".

1988

"What handles like a Porsche, costs only £4200 and is more fun than a GTI?" was the question that filled the cover of Autocar-and the answer was the Skoda 136 Rapid Coupé. A brand that had been the butt of every car-related joke for a decade suddenly was appealing to enthusiasts.

"In an era of sameness, it offers a genuinely different driving experience. There's no better way to learn about every angle of handling - a sort of beginners' course to the Porsche 911, if you like," read our road test verdict.

1992

After the Velvet Revolution had brought down the communist regime, Volkswagen signed up to rejuvenate Skoda, planning £3 billion of investment in plant, technology and future model programmes.

"Our cars are better than people think they are," exports boss Jan Fechtner told us on a visit to Mladá Boleslav. "It's vital that the image is raised, so when we improve the cars, the market gives us due credit for it".

Volkswagen R&D chief Ulrich Seiffert added: "We'll be building cars that meet or exceed all European standards. You cannot survive by using yesterday's techniques". After a tour of the factory, we presciently predicted: "Quite soon, the Czechoslovaks may be having the last laugh".

2009

The global economy imploded in 2008, causing upheaval throughout the car industry. Yet while others went bankrupt or folded, Skoda was, by late 2009, already "set to emerge from the credit crisis with its reputation enhanced".

Its value proposition meant it did very well out of scrappage schemes in Europe while capitalising on the growth in the developing markets of China and particularly India, the new Superb being a real highlight. "From the single-car line-up of the early 1990s, Skoda's rise has been remarkable, and it shows little sign of diminishing," we concluded.

2016

Skoda was early to the compact SUV party, yet it struck such a chord that in 2015, by which time rivals had popped up everywhere, the kooky Yeti was selling better than ever. In admiration, we drove a four-wheel-drive example across the tough Himalayan terrain of Bhutan - the home of its mythical namesake.

"It has managed every hairy situation thrown at it with grace and emerges from our treacherous drive unscathed," we said, finding ourselves "more enamoured than we ever thought we could be with a Yeti".

2022

If we had held awards in the 1960s, perhaps Skoda might have won Best Family Car in the cheapest price category, but it would have had no hope of taking the overall honour.