Few car manufacturers can claim to have made such spectacular progress as Skoda during the last decade. The best example of this is the Fabia, which was named Whatcar Best Supermini in 2002 for the third successive year!
In 2002, the Superb (a model name first used by Skoda for its lavish saloon in 1938) was launched to the executive market. It immediately started to win awards – Scottish Luxury Car of the year and then Towcar of the Year from the Caravan Club.
By the 1920s Skoda had established a strong manufacturing background in engines and made luxury cars. A merger with a successful motorcycle and automobile company in 1925 boosted the company’s resources. These resources channeled into intensive design work culminated in the early 1930s in the radical Skoda 420, putting Skoda technology decades ahead of many well-known European car manufacturers.
In 1969 the first Skoda rally car, the “1000 MB” competed in the RAC rally. But due to rapid growth of western technologies in the late sixties, the company lost its competitive position.
Skoda needed a strong foreign partner, and therefore, it joined the VW, Audi and SEAT group in 1991. In 1999 a new Skoda design centre was opened in Mlada Boleslav in the Czech Republic, and later that year, the Skoda WRC scored its first world championship rally point.
Last year ended with record sales and the renaissance of Skoda continues with a series of great value, high quality cars.
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