Period film showing the history of Skoda including: Lauren & Klement Skoda Popular Skoda Rapid (Garde) Skoda Estelle 105 120 and 130 models Skoda racing cars Skoda awards ceremony
I live in Canada and had a 130 GL. Everything was fine about it, except it couldn't deal with our winter. The rear window defrost was inadequate (that's a major understatement), the windshield wipers were always too slow (even on the fast setting) and the door locks froze consistently. --If only I were in a better climate! The brakes were OK (nothing special), but the handling was very good and the rider comfort was much better than any of my later Volkswagens. I had the rally package, so it came with a 5 speed gearbox that was well tuned for anything (highway or city); a sunroof; sporty mag wheels; and extra lights that were so strong oncoming drivers flashed me to select low-beam during the day. My girlfriend (who knew nothing about cars, so didn't know the difference) said it was nicer to ride in it than her former boyfriend's Ferrari. It was also frequently mistaken for a BMW. I had it for six years and if they ever built something that could handle Canadian winters, I'd buy another one in a heartbeat! It really was a great car. Regards Richard Ottawa -- Canada
Hmmmm, It was normal (for me) to use Skoda 125 in winter -20°C conditions (in the mountains, my everyday livin´). Are you able to operate with such a simple engine like Skoda is?
But - now "I´m on" Skoda Felicia. We´ve used about five or six Felicia models over the years. No problems, technical. Good, cheap car, for everything. My next car will be Renault Berlingo. It´s the same category, but better. For information, I don´t use a car, which costs more then 900 USD all my life. 600 USD is enough. 30 - 60 000 miles using and through it away. Good life. Cheap and comfort.
Other car companies (or just makes, as they're all conglomerated these days) use highly stylized simple logos. Only expensive sports car companies use more complex logos. Except Skoda. They used the glove before the Soviets, and use it still.
I had a 1985 Skoda Rapide 130. It had beautiful coachwork and the aluminium 4 cylinder was praised by auto mechanics as being made of very high quality. The big problem I had was the cooling system. Twice the water hoses broke (without warning) and the motor-head and block was warped within seconds.
that sounds like an 80's skoda for you. we were driving up a hill one time and the estelle steaming from the back very badly. we had to carry bottles of water all the time for it. it just made me think why didnt they just put the engine in the front? it was a reliable car but its cooling system let it down badly. there is only a few rapid/estelles left in britain now.
Michael Jagger Indeed. I could never understand it. Skoda had been producing rear-engined motorcars for many decades. One would have thought that with all of the experience they'd accumulated that the newer model aerodynamics (if nothing else) would have been properly and specifically designed to make the cooling system ever more efficient. Or, as you say, reconfigured and placed in the nose. Well! Mine ended up at the knackers and I haven't seen another one in Sweden since then.
BackSeatHump there was more space in the front of the car than the back. it would of been less of a joke if they stuck the engine in the front. like most mass production car companies did then.
Michael Jagger There was an issue where the cylinder head bolts were not tightened up enough. The specified torque was too low and caused the head gasket to blow. My Estelle 105 had this issue but since a new gasket and proper tightening it runs correctly. I don't think the dealerships knew how to deal with them properly.
+Michael Jagger Skoda didn't put the engine in the front or made any significant improvements for decades because the retards sitting in Kremlin in Moscow who were running the whole eastern block said they can't. What they said was "here, take this technology from the 50s, improve it a bit, design new body every 15 years and sell it to the public"! If you want to see what Skoda would have been making in the 70s or so if the country was not invaded by the communists in 1948 search for Skoda 720 - a front engined prototype that was at pre-production stage when it was stopped..
ZISTA DIVAN MINI FILM☺.FINO JE VIDJETI OPET SKODU TO JE JEDAN AUTO ZAISTA PREDIVAN .JA IMAM SKUDU 120L ODLICAN AUTO INACE SKODU VOLIM OBOZAVAM, AUTO KOJE JE OBELEZILO JEDNU DIVNU EPOHU KOD NAS.AUTO UZ KOJE SAM RASTAO ZA MENE NEPROCENJIVU SETIMETALNU VREDNOST.STA RECI PERFEKTAN AUTO!😅.
Yes, they had a reputation of being more of a joke than an automotive giant due to the shoddy manufacturing reputation Warsaw Pact cars tended to have, but there's no denying that they were the least ugly of the communist made vehicles.
In comparison to the Trabant and Yugo the Skoda was a high end sports car in the 1970s and 1980s. This was the best Communism could produce, but compared the rest of the world's cars at the time Skodas were horrible, ugly cars.
There was nothing remotely horrible about them. I had 4 of the rear engined Skodas - 2 x 120 Estelle’s and 2 x 130G Rapids. Loved them all and had some of the cheapest and best motoring in them all. I drove our last 1984 Estelle 120 (now with a 130G Rapid engine replacement) in 2004 - after it had been technically written off after a rear end shunt. I cried my eyes out all the way there - it had been the most reliable and loyal car I had ever owned at the time - and had never let me down. It was cheap with late 1970’s automobile technology which worked flawlessly as long as it was maintained and checked regularly. It was never horrible. Indeed, I was ultimately envied by my mates who owned less than reliable Ford Escorts and Sierra’s. My budget 2nd hand Skodas never broke down - their Fords cost a bomb to fix as they kept breaking down.
