Event / skoda-classic-days

Journalists Experienced 130 Years in a Single Day

Eight historic cars for driving, another three for rides, and six Trekka cars together in one place. That is what October's Škoda Classic Days offered to journalists.

What is it like to swap a modern car for a machine that has decades of service behind it? The Classic Days event, held at Niměřice Chateau, provided the answers, becoming one of the more unusual ways to mark 130 years of the history of the Škoda brand. Some of the cars were loaned from the Škoda Museum's collections, while others were brought by private owners. Thanks to them, participants were able to meet models whose stories still continue today in the garages of enthusiastic collectors.

Journalists took the wheel of models built between 1948 and 1988 (see Behind the Wheel of Legends). From post-war cars to sportily styled coupés, they could see how both the engineering and design changed over four decades.

At the event, journalists could not only learn about the history of the Škoda cars but also experience it first-hand. All it took was getting behind the wheel and setting off.

History That Lives Through People

The event was not just a display of well-preserved cars. Behind each one lies craftsmanship, time and the enthusiasm of the people who make sure that historic cars can take to the road again even decades later.

An exceptional guest was Petr Hošťálek, a well-known collector and expert on historic motorcycles. In 2012, he completed the Paris–Vienna route, including demanding Alpine passes, on a restored Laurin & Klement Slavia motorcycle. His experience was a reminder that preserving technical heritage is not just about restoration but also about passing the stories of the past on to others.

Another guest was New Zealand journalist Todd Niall, who devoted part of his career to investigating the story of the unusual Trekka car. His interest first led to a radio documentary, The Trekka's Tale, and later to a book, The Trekka Dynasty, published in 2004. In it, he charts not only the history of the car itself but also the fates of the people behind its creation, and the circumstances that allowed New Zealand to launch production of its own car.

A New Zealand Rarity

This year, the Trekka celebrates 60 years since production began and is one of the most interesting chapters in the carmaker's history. Six of them gathered at Classic Days, reportedly the largest number ever assembled in one place. The Trekka was created in New Zealand in cooperation with the Škoda brand and was technically based on the Octavia model. From 1966, it offered a practical body, increased ground clearance and versatile use for both work and leisure. By the time production ended in 1972, around 2,800 units had been built. Today it stands as a rare testament to how Czech engineering foundations found their place on the other side of the world, and that the story of the Škoda brand was not written at home alone.