Skoda has a rich motorsport history – and an enduring talent for producing radical concept cars
From Monte Carlo wins to student-designed concept cars, Skoda has always had a knack for pushing limits.
Below, we highlight the most important, influential and our favourite cars from 130 years in the business.
Motorsport machines
Laurin & Klement CCR 1905
It wasn’t an official world championship, but in the early 1900s the International Motorcycle Cup in Dourdan, France, was the biggest event of the year.
Laurin & Klement motorcycles had competed from 1901 onwards, and in 1905 Václav Vondrich scored the nascent firm’s first significant success riding a CCR.
Skoda Rapid Six 1935
Laurin & Klement switched to four-wheeled competition with the Voiturette A in 1906 and notched up successes in various Czech events in the following years.
But the 1925 merger with Skoda Works provided the extra financial clout to invest in a racing programme, leading to the Skoda Rapid Six that scored third overall and a class win in the 1935 1000 Miles of Czechoslovakia, an open road endurance race modelled on the Mille Miglia.
Skoda Popular Sport 1936
This popular machine started Skoda’s long-running reputation for producing compact rally cars that could take class wins and humble more powerful competition. Crewed by Zdenek Pohl and Jaroslav Hausman, a Popular Sport took second in the sub-1500cc class and 20th overall on Skoda’s first time at the Monte Carlo Rally.
Skoda Octavia Sport 1961
The Octavia was launched in 1959, with a Touring Sports version, using a twin-carb engine taken from a Felicia convertible, following a year later.
In 1961 Esko Keinänen and Rainer Eklund scored a class win and finished an incredible sixth overall on the Monte Carlo Rally. Skoda’s ambitions in this era went beyond rallying: the 1101 competed in a string of sports car races in the 1950s, including in the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Skoda F3 1964
Skoda is best known for its success on the rally stages, but it has dabbled in single-seater competition. This machine, the F3, was used in Formula 3 and Formula Junior in 1964. It was powered by a water-cooled 1.0-litre four-cylinder engine that initially offered 76bhp.
Skoda 130RS 1975
In 1974 the Skoda 200RS was the first to feature the Rallye Sport suffix that remains the badge (albeit as vRS in the UK) used for all of its performance models. But it was the following year’s 130RS that became the real driver of Skoda’s motorsport success.
The 130RS was based on the 110R coupé but featured a larger engine, with aluminium parts and fibreglass bumpers to reduce weight. Produced for customers, it was nicknamed ‘Porsche of the East’ for its success in motorsport events.
There were a number of Monte Carlo class wins, and in 1981 Skoda won six of the eight European Touring Car Championship races to claim the title. It was followed by the 130LR, which was built to Group B specs and claimed a surprise win on the 1986 Turkish Rally.
Skoda Favorit, Felicia and Octavia 1991-1999
The Volkswagen Group’s purchase of Skoda in 1991 transformed the marque’s road cars – along with its motorsport ambitions. In 1994 the firm entered the FIA World Rally Cup with the Favorit kit car, claiming the title first time out.
It was replaced by the Felicia, the first motorsport machine developed entirely under VW ownership and which became famous for a string of giant-slaying class wins with Stig Blomqvist behind the wheel. More success followed with the Octavia kit car, as Skoda Motorsport built up its knowledge to enter the top level of world rallying.
Skoda Octavia WRC and Fabia WRC 1999-2005
Skoda’s results in the World Rally Championship don’t seem that impressive – Armin Schwarz scored the team’s single podium with third on the 2001 Safari Rally – but that reflects the strength of the series in that era.
The Octavia WRC-Skoda’s first four-wheel-drive and turbocharged rally car-lacked speed but was renowned for its strength, as evidenced by that podium on the series’ toughest event.
Skoda switched to the Fabia WRC in 2003 but never really had the resources to hone the car into a match for the dominant Citroën team of the era.
Skoda Fabia S2000 2009
Skoda’s return to international rallying came in the second-tier Super 2000 division, and the Fabia was the dominant force, both with the works team and numerous customers.
Skoda sold 63 customer cars, which combined to claim 50 national and international titles. The subsequent Fabia R5 continued that success, with the works team winning five straight WRC2 titles from 2015 onwards.
Skoda Fabia Rally2 2021-
After several years purely supporting customers, Skoda Motorsport plotted a return to the stages with a new second-tier Rally2 challenger. The car was designed for durability and reliability and was fast right away, with Oliver Solberg scoring stage wins on its debut on the 2022 Monte Carlo Rally. Andreas Mikkelsen then claimed the 2023 WRC2 title.
Crazy concepts
Skoda AHOJ 2002
Designed by Thomas Ingenlath, this concept, which was based on a Fabia platform, presented a simple, stripped-back car for young people. Sadly, it never reached production.
Skoda Vision C 2014
Skoda uses the Vision tag for its concept machines that hint at future production versions. The super-stylish Vision C took the Octavia and reimagined it as a five-door coupé, in the manner of the contemporary Volkswagen CC. It eventually inspired the Superb.
Skoda Vision E 2017
This concept was Skoda’s first pure-electric vehicle, and it served as the design inspiration for the Enyaq Coupé.
Skoda Mountiq 2019
Each year, students at Skoda’s vocational college are tasked with producing a concept car from design to reality, using a base model donated by the firm. The Mountiaq took a Kodiaq SUV and turned it into a go-anywhere, practical but sporty pick-up.
Skoda Vision GT 2022
A virtual concept for the Gran Turismo game, the Vision GT features classic styling inspired by both the 1100 and 130RS.
Skoda Vision 7S 2022
A large electric SUV, the Vision 7S concept introduced the brand’s new Modern Solid design language that is now being rolled out. A production version of the concept is due to be revealed next year.
Skoda Vision O 2025
Skoda’s most recent concept showcases how bright the firm’s future is. Revealed at this year’s Munich show, the sleek Vision O previews a next-generation estate set to go into production early next decade on a new platform (likely to be the VW Group’s advanced new SSP architecture).
Source: Autocar
