Anniversary – 125 years
Anniversary – 125 years
A year full of anniversaries
This year, ŠKODA AUTO commemorates a number of important milestones
he Mladá Boleslav–based carmaker is one of the oldest continuously operating vehicle manufacturers in the world. This year, it not only celebrates its 125th anniversary but also commemorates several significant anniversaries of many of its facilities. This July issue of ŠKODA Mobil focuses on these facilities.
A successful tradition
The rich and interesting story of the Czech carmaker started back in 1895 and was written by Václav Laurin and Václav Klement. It is full of great models, well-thought-out innovations, historical twists and remarkable destinies thanks to which a local bicycle repair shop has become the most important Czech industrial company. And its cars now drive all over the world. ŠKODA AUTO is proud of its tradition and is exemplary in how it takes care of it. The ŠKODA Museum, housed in premises where cars were manufactured until 1928, provides an engaging journey through history and boasts an extensive collection of more than 340 historical models. The modern exhibition at Ferdinand Porsche’s birth house in Vratislavice informs visitors about the world of technology, a rich history and the future of mobility.
A compelling legacy
The legacy of the Czech brand plays an important role in its communication. Customers in new markets – especially in China and India – appreciate the carmaker’s ability to produce exceptional models, win motorsport competitions and keep up with the competition. “Our activities relating to the 125th anniversary this year are led by this motto: ‘Driving inventiveness since 1895’. Corporate culture and a great emphasis on the users of our cars lead us to put people first – both employees and customers. We develop all innovative solutions (e.g. simply clever solutions) to make people’s lives simpler and more enjoyable”, says Talmon L’Armée, head of VMC – Communication Strategy and Content. The campaign also includes a special film celebrating the anniversary, a virtual reality game called Time Machine and a series of articles placed on the ŠKODA Storyboard. The ŠKODA Museum and the exhibition From Heritage to Future demonstrate how the Czech brand has become global. Those of you who love the beauty of classic cars will also enjoy this event. Cars from museum collections will also be showcased at classic car events. For example the ŠKODA Classic Tour and the 7 Castles Trial rally. RED
Gripping reading for the summer
The ŠKODA brand owes its success to the ingenuity and enthusiasm of five generations of ŠKODA cars. Start reading the supplement on the 125th anniversary of ŠKODA AUTO, which follows the development of selected occupations from the early days to the present and tells interesting stories of former and current employees.
A trip into history
An excursion into the past is on the ŠKODA Heritage portal, which, upon scanning the QR code, will take you through a virtual historical exhibition, acquaint you with the company’s milestones or the company logo’s history and introduce models from various periods.
A trip into history
An excursion into the past is on the ŠKODA Heritage portal, which, upon scanning the QR code, will take you through a virtual historical exhibition, acquaint you with the company’s milestones or the company logo’s history and introduce models from various periods.
Mr. Machač, tell us about your beginnings at the carmaker.
I started my apprenticeship in Mladá Boleslav in 1943. Originally a lathe operator, I soon found that I wouldn’t enjoy standing at a lathe. I switched to car mechanics, and after three years of study, I joined what was the Starting department. At that time, 10 to 15 cars were produced per day, which I checked and drove.
What happened next?
The carmaker bought the Česana area and moved its Technical Development department to this site. I worked as a fitter in the Prototyping department. Later on, I moved to the post of test driver, for example, of the ŠKODA 1200 and the SPARTAK models. As it was necessary to drive around 50,000 km with these vehicles, we tested almost non-stop in 12-hour shifts. In a shift, we had to drive 500 to 600 km.
You also had a rich career abroad. How did it start?
The carmaker was expanding, and the plants in Vrchlabí and Kvasiny became a part of it. There, the models were modified by putting special bodies on a standard chassis. We drove them back to Mladá Boleslav, from where they travelled all over the world. In 1954, a foreman came to us at the Česana site to choose four of us to learn languages and go abroad. We didn’t really believe it. I chose English, and after two months I got a call from the HR department to come and have the documents processed.
Where did you go?
My first stop was the Sudan. It was a big education for me. I still managed to order coffee on the plane, but on site, it was worse. After a month in Khartoum, I started speaking a lot more English and travelled through Ethiopia, Kenya and Egypt, on to Cyprus and then home. I spent half a year travelling.
What did you take care of there?
Basically, I was instructing local dealers and workshops. I trained them to repair cars. At first, they couldn’t even handle a clogged carburettor.
What did you do when you returned?
They posted me again immediately. At that time, the foreign business representation of the ŠKODA brand became part of Motokov, a so-called foreign trade company. I visited Ceylon, Singapore, Hong Kong and other countries. But there, I dealt more with business matters. Gradually, I left my job at ŠKODA and took over an Exico branch in Singapore.
You finally returned to the then-AZNP …
With a big detour. They sent me to Canada saying that 100 cars had been there for one year already without being paid for. I sold the cars within two years. I finally returned home in 1971 and started working as a sales manager.
You stayed in this function for four years …
Then I worked in Canada and the USA. Later I managed a Czech business company in Nigeria. I retired in 1991.
Was this the final farewell to your career?
Not yet. Thanks to my contacts, I helped to secure the supply of spare parts to the carmaker’s representative office in Israel.Jiří Brynda, Luděk Vokáč
Key milestones
1895
Václav Laurin and Václav Klement establish a joint venture and start producing and repairing SLAVIA bicycles. Right from the beginning, they meet the needs of their customers, as evidenced by the instalment sales and wide selection of models on offer.
1899
Why not start making motorised bicycles? Placing the powertrain in the frame worsens the competitors’ machine-driving abilities. “We’ll build a frame around the engine”, Laurin says to himself, and another successful item is born: the motorcycle.
1900
A group of L&K specialists – toolmakers Josef Marinský and Vojtěch Dundr – is manufacturing the first drilling templates, which make production faster and more accurate. It forms the basis for today’s Tool Shop (more on pp. 6–7).
1905
The time has come to switch from single-track to two-track vehicles, and the first VOITURETTE A car leaves the factory. The Czech lands are among the territories where the first cars are produced.
1907
The carmaker has earned the acclaim of professionals in the field of powertrain development. The L&K car, FF type, is powered by the first eight-cylinder developed in Central Europe.
1920
The company’s founders realise that selling a car does not spell an end to providing services. They establish a specialised company named ELKA, whose history continues today with ŠKODA Original Parts (more on p. 8).
1925
The carmaker Laurin & Klement finds a strong partner to provide for its further development in the difficult post-war era. Pilsen giant Škoda is this partner.
1927
The need to acquire a skilled workforce leads the carmaker to set up its own apprenticeship school. To date, these SOUs have educated more than 23,000 pupils.
1929
The ingenuity of Mladá Boleslav technicians and the background of the West Bohemian Škoda group are the reason for the successful launch of flow production.
1934
A revolutionary technological change arrives when the ladder frame chassis replaces the backbone structure with a central support tube and independent wheel suspension. These are some of the features of the POPULAR and the RAPID.
1937
The brand’s product range switches to the OHV valve train. It brings customers increased performance, maximum speed, improved dynamics and a slight reduction in consumption.
1946
On 1 January, the carmaker is nationalised and renamed AZNP (Automobilové závody, Národní podnik; i.e. Automobile factory, national enterprise).
1949
The plant in Kvasiny officially becomes part of the carmaker. Two years earlier, it had relaunched manufacturing of the ŠKODA SUPERB and started production on the roadster version of the new ŠKODA 1101.
1950
The special ŠKODA Sport model, a derivative of the popular “Tudor”, participates in the legendary 24-hour Le Mans endurance race with a crew consisting of Václav Bobek and Jaroslav Netušil.
1952
Even the planned economy after 1948 did not put an end to innovation and technical development. In 1952, the first car with an all-metal body rolls off the production line – the ŠKODA 1200 “Sedan”.
1959
One of the most famous models in ŠKODA’s post-war history, the ŠKODA FELICIA, is presented at the Geneva Motor Show. One of the reasons why customers like the attractive and economical car is its favourable price/performance ratio.
1964
The new ŠKODA 1000 MB model with a rear engine and rear-wheel drive is introduced. For this model, the carmaker constructs a new part of the plant with a production capacity many times that of the previous one.
1975
The ŠKODA 130 RS achieves the first of many racing victories. Thanks to its remarkable performance, this ŠKODA motorsport legend is nicknamed the Porsche of the East.
1987
The ŠKODA FAVORIT is the most technologically advanced car in the Eastern Bloc. It is developed in record time and is proof of ŠKODA’s ingenuity.
1991
In a free global market, the ŠKODA brand could not succeed without cooperating with a strong partner. The Czech government decides to merge it with the VW Group.
1995
In the 1990s, production capacities at Mladá Boleslav are largely modernised. ŠKO-ENERGO is established (more on p. 10) and focuses on using environmentally friendly technologies.
1996
One of the most modern car factories of its time opens in Mladá Boleslav. The ŠKODA OCTAVIA rolls off the line. The model becomes the brand’s bestseller, and its success with customers continues to this day.
1999
The ŠKODA FABIA, the successor to the FELICIA model, becomes one of the most popular cars in its class, and a year later, the British magazine “What car?” bestows it with the Car of the Year award.
2000
A separate Brand Logistics department is set up at ŠKODA, and the ŠKODA Parts Centre building grows as a result. In addition, the company establishes its own university named ŠAVŠ (more on p. 10).
2001
The brand’s flagship ŠKODA SUPERB is presented in Frankfurt, Germany. The model offer now also satisfies the wishes of the most demanding customers.
2003
The FABIA WRC sports car has its premiere at the Brno Motor Show and will give the ŠKODA brand another chance at success in the World Rally Championship.
2009
Mladá Boleslav heeds the call of drivers seeking an all-surface mobility solution. The ŠKODA YETI, the brand’s first SUV, soon becomes a sales classic.
2011
The ŠKODA brand wins its first-ever World Rally Championship title. It is won by the Red Bull ŠKODA crew of Hänninen/Markull in the FABIA Super 2000 car.
2015
The plant in Vrchlabí wins the “Factory of the Year” award for having quickly prepared for the production of the DQ 200 direct-shift automatic transmission and the company’s dynamic development.
2016
The popularity of SUVs is steadily on the rise. The first model in this family, the KODIAQ, rolls off the production line of the Kvasiny plant, followed by the KAROQ (2017) and the KAMIQ (2019).
2019
The brand enters the era of electromobility with the SUPERB iV and CITIGOe iV. The fourth generation of the best-selling OCTAVIA is also adapted to modern individual mobility trends.
2020
Environmentally minded customers witness the advent of the first purely electric car model on the MEB Group platform. The ŠKODA ENYAQ iV is scheduled to arrive in September.