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Skoda through its Ages

Skoda is a Czech Republican auto manufacturer company and a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. The company has been for years, manufacturing quality cars which has great performance history and a long queue of satisfied customers. More than hundred years into the car manufacturing business, Skoda has always marched its way up. With over many successful car models to its credit, Skoda is now one among the major car manufacturer’s of the world. The globally acclaimed company has a very interesting and encouraging history in its folds.

Towards the end of 1895, sometime during the month of December, two bicycle enthusiasts, Vaclav Laurin, who was a mechanic and Vaclav Klement, a book seller, began designing and manufacturing bicycles. They named this dream of theirs Slavia.
It almost took another four years for Laurin and Klement Co. to upgrade their business from producing bicycles to producing motorcycles in 1899.
These motorcycles of Laurin & Klement Co. had been very successful and bagged many racing victories. These victories in the initial stages of the company provided a strong and comfortable beginning for the company and it gained confidence to widen its range of business.
Motorcycles were soon substituted by automobiles. The company started manufacturing automobiles and by 1905, Laurin & Klement Co. manufactured its first car.
Voiturette A is the first car the Laurin & Klement Co. manufactured. The car was a big success and is an epitome of Czech automobile classic.
The success of the first car of Laurin & Klement Co. helped it to build a strong foundation, the company was accepted worldwide and this forced the company to start their business at a much wider range, reaching out more customers.
In 1907, the business of the company expanded and it was no more a private company and so it changed to a joint-stock company.
During the First World War, the company was also involved in the war, producing vehicles for the armed force.
After the First World War, the company did not limit the production to passenger cars, it had already started manufacturing buses and trucks.
The company in 1924 merged with Skoda Works, after being hit by fire, understanding it will have to face severe problems and will not have an existence otherwise. And this enterprise was the biggest in Czechoslovakia at that time and it remained producing cars till Second World War.
During the great economic depression, the company faced major decline in business, but with the launch and success of Skoda Popular in the late 1930s the condition of the company was back to the normal.
During the Second World War, when Germans held the custody of the company, they renamed Skoda to Hermann Goring Werke and started manufacturing military vehicles for the army.

This period was a very significant one in the history of the company as it had to face significant disturbances during the period, but soon after the Germans were defeated the company was back in production giving more importance to civilian production program.
In spite of the restrictions laid by the Communist rule, the company was successful in bringing out quality cars. Meanwhile the company, in 1946, became a national enterprise named AZNP.
The company’s successful models of the time include Skoda 445 Octavia, 440 Spartak, Felicia, and Skoda 1000 MB, which presented the company with a very comfortable position in the car industry worldwide.
Skoda introduced the 1000/1100 MB Series in 1964. The car was powered by a 1.1-liter aluminum engine. Though the car was in production for five years - from 1964 to 1969 - it was a complete failure, which was stuffed with quality control problems.
The 100R is a sport coupe of Skoda that was manufactured during the 1970s. The car was a major hit and is believed to be the most attractive car ever brought out by the company.
The 100R was followed by 110R and 130RS, both of them equally successful as the 100R model.
The 130RS was a good sports car that won the 1977 Monte Carlo Rally, the Acropolis in 1978, and the European Manufactruers' Championship race in 1981.
The 1980s proved to be a very challenging year for the company. When most of the cars in throughout the world had started using most modern facilities and equipments, Skoda was still lagging behind. The company was using the technologies from 1960, which was almost outdated by then.
In spite of all the technology issues the company was facing during the time, the company unveiled Estelle, Rapid and 105/120 models, very reliable models from the brand.
The Communist rule came to an end in the year 1989 and this was the beginning of a new phase in the history of the company.
The company was very soon in search of a foreign partner that would change the future of the company and help it becoming an international brand.
International brands such as Renault and Volkswagen competed for the ownership of the company and in 1990 the government came to the conclusion that it would cooperate with the Volkswagen Group.
The joint venture of Skoda and Volkswagen stated its operation on April 1991 and took the name Skoda Automobilova A.S.
Skoda is among the four brands of Volkswagen, VW, Audi and SEAT being the other three.
Skoda produced Felicia in 1994, the first model that came out of the joint venture between Volkswagen and Skoda.
Skoda now has a series of stylish and powerful cars being produced such as the Octavia, Laura, Yeti, Superb, Roomster and Fabia