A short history of Skoda

TFounded in 1859, Skoda had a very interesting history as a state and private automobile manufacturer. By 2016, Skoda had sold 1.13 million cars and profits grew by 6.5%.
But how did this Czech manufacturer come into existence? We take a look at Skoda's intriguing history.

Since when does Skoda build cars?Skoda was established in 1859 under the name of Laurin & Klement. This makes Skoda one of the oldest car manufacturers, alongside Daimler, Opel, Peugeot and Tatra.

The company first started out manufacturing bicycles, then switched to motorcycles. The first motorcycle made by Skoda was called the "Motocyclette" and was powered by a handlebar-mounted engine. However, it proved to be extremely dangerous and unreliable, and was therefore shelved.The Slavia motorcycle debuted in 1899 and many credit Skoda as the creator of the motorcycle. 

In 1900 Slavia started exporting to London. The first motorcycle factory in Central Europe was also built. Until 1905, Skoda manufactured cars, making it the second-oldest automaker in the Czech lands after Tatra. The first was the Voiturette A.

Skoda became Skoda in 1925 after Skoda Works, the arms manufacturer, attempted to expand its non-arms manufacturing base and took over Laurin & Klement. After that, cars under the Skoda brand were produced. In the 1930s, Skoda introduced a new line of vehicles due to the economic crisis. These had independent wheel suspension and were modeled after those introduced on Tatra models. They were first used in the Skoda 420 Standard and continued to form the basis for the Popular, Rapid, Favorit and Superb. This new line also made them the market leader by 1936.

What happened to Skoda in WWII?The occupation of Czechoslovakia during WWII resulted in the Skoda works being converted into factories to serve the German war effort. It produced components for military off-road vehicles, military aircraft, and other weapon components.
Between 1940 and 1945, British and American air forces bombed the factory repeatedly.

 It ended in April 1945 with the almost complete destruction of the factory and around 1,000 people killed or injured.

What happened to Skoda after the Second World War?After the factory was rebuilt, Skoda began production of its first post-war car, the 1101 series. It was pretty much just an updated version of the Skoda Popular released before the war.

In 1948, Skoda became part of the communist planned economy, which meant that it was separated from the parent company, Skoda-Werke. Škoda maintained its good reputation during this period, but lost touch with technological developments in non-communist countries. They produced Skoda 440 Spartak, 445 Octavia Felicia and Skoda 1000 MB

. The Skoda Felicia was imported to the United States in 1960 and sold for around $2,700, which was quite expensive and you could get a faster, nicer car for the same amount. The Felicia was also unreliable and consequently became a poor seller in the States. No Skoda has been imported into the United States for retail sales since then.

Skoda still made cars that were conceptually from the 1960s. Rear engine models such as the Skoda 105/120, Estelle and Rapid sold well and also performed well in the RAC Rally. They continued to sell well in the UK and western Europe.

So good that the sport versions of the Estelle were produced under the Rapid name. This was dubbed the 'poor man's Porsche' but sold quite well in the UK.

Introduced in 1987, the Favorite was among the most westernized cars from Eastern Europe. They were joined by VAZ Lada Samara and Yugo Sana from Zastava. Popular in both the Eastern Bloc and Western Europe, the favorite sold well given its low price and was fairly solid and reliable.
When did Skoda become a Volkswagen subsidiary?The fall of communism brought about major changes in Czechoslovakia. Most sectors were now open to privatization, including Skoda. The authorities chose Volkswagen and in 1991 a joint-venture partnership agreement with Volkswagen was concluded. Volkswagen took over 30% of shares in Skoda, increasing it to 60.3% in 1994 and 70% in 1995.

The investment by Volkswagen meant that Skoda's style and engineering improved greatly. The new Felicia model was popular as it was perceived as offering good value for money and improved sales across Europe. It was a g ‘It’s a Skoda, honest’ campaign in 2000 showed how much the attitude towards the brand had changed.

The Slavia motorcycle debuted in 1899 and many credit Skoda as the creator of the motorcycle.Skoda and the current daySkoda have gone from strength to strength. From laughing stock to a highly regarded brand, Skoda consistently stays at the top when it comes to customer satisfaction surveys. Just this week it was reported that Skoda was ready to reveal the concept of their electric SUV at the Shanghai Motor Show next month. They will also launch a plug-in version of the Skoda Superb in 2019 . Other models include the Skoda Yeti, the Octavia and the little city car, the CitiGo. If you are interested in any of the latest Skoda models, you may use our search below.