Born in 1859, Škoda is the same age as Hendy. Among car companies, only Peugeot is older.
Founded in the Kingdom of Bohemia in modern day Czechia, it began as a foundry and engineering works. Under entrepreneurial owner Emil Škoda, it would become a major supplier of arms to the Austro-Hungarian army and would branch out into ships, locomotives and steelworks.
Meanwhile, a separate bicycle maker called Laurin & Klement was founded in 1895 in Mlada Boleslav, headquarters of today’s Škoda. It soon became the second largest maker of bicycles in Czechia and, in 1905, diversified into cars. In 1925, Škoda and Laurin & Klement merged: Škoda Auto was born.
Pre-war, Czechia was famous for the quality of its engineering, including cars. Škoda's Czech rival Tatra had a particularly well-regarded model – the T97 – that greatly influenced the Volkswagen Beetle. When it was launched, Tatra sued for patent infringement. The lawsuit was suspended when Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia. (In 1965, Volkswagen paid one million Deutschmarks, or about £200,000, in compensation to the family who owned Tatra before the war.)
There was a rollcall of highly regarded pre-war Škoda's too, including the Rapid and Superb – names that would be successfully used post-war.
After World War Two, Škoda was nationalised by Communist Czechoslovakia. (Tatra would stop making cars and concentrate on trucks.) Technically its cars fell way behind the West, although models such as the rear-engine Škoda Estelle sold well in the UK, owing to their low price and toughness.
After the Berlin Wall fell, Škoda became part of the Volkswagen group. Design and quality improved hugely. Some truly innovative cars were launched, including the utilitarian Yeti. Cars like the Fabia, Octavia, Superb, Karoq and Kodiaq are renowned for their spaciousness, comfort and value. Little wonder that Škoda is now one of the Volkswagen group’s most successful nameplates.
Hendy currently represents Škoda in Bournemouth and Salisbury.
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