I got a £300 favorit estate 1.3 as my girlfriend's (now wife) first car. Back then van insurance was much cheaper for new drivers but she refused to have one, so naturally I found a car even less desirable! By the time we sold it she loved that car and would still get another one today, it was solid and reliable, hit a large badger around 45mph, went right over/partially through it with left wheels, no damage, didn't even upset the tracking. Super economic to run/fix/service. Enough torque to drag 5 people and all the camping gear up hill on hot summer days no problem. In winter drove past 4x4's in the ditch on snow/icy roads no problem on standard tyres. Even the monkeys in longleat couldn't really hurt it beyond eating the foam rear spoiler and pulling the screenwash lines out to drink the fluid.
Thanks for the positive comments magna59. I had numerous rear engined Skodas and had a favourite road where I could get them airborne!! Great fun!! Was lucky enough to own a cabriolet version too! Never had a car that always put a smile on my face when I drove it despite passers by thinking I worked in a bank! (at least I think they were calling me a banker!). That car got me a wife in the end and I've regretted selling it since the day it left. It's sunning itself in Belgium now apparently!!
Had 3 Rapids in my younger years and watching VBH test the Hot Rod Rapid she commented about the responsive steering, definately the best aspect of the cars. If only I'd had the money at the time for a bit more power and uprated suspension. Still great fun to drive!
Yeah even a classic Mr2 mk1 is less than the skodas there, but i'd still rather have a skoda estelle or a rapid. There getting more valuable and are starting to become more rare :(
lol this video is timeless. I personally have Skoda Felicia so I can confirm that with just a few small and cheap modifications you'll get a bulletproof reliable hot hatch
I sell new Skodas for a living but I would Love to get my hands on one of these "proper" old skool models! I love their charm n would love to drive one. They look cool modified n I have a picture of a lowered Rapid as my decktop image on my PC at work :-) A few of the guys I work with have worked there for years and used to sell these old'uns n the mechanics say they were so bomb proof and easy to work on. Shame they had such a bad image and totally unfair!
I own a skoda 120 and its a piece of shit lol, worst car ive ever driven. It boggles my mind how could a honda prelude 3rd gen and a 120 even be made at the same time
Communist pieces of shit, worse than Ladas. Nowadays just worse VW's with VW problems like timing chains made out of old bicycle chains apparently, and literal plastic gearbox innards. They've always been terrible pieces of shit and they still are.
I've had an old skoda. It was a lot better, than most people think. Not as reliable though as some of the modern cars, but a lot more fun to drive. Especially in snow! :D
@@vendastrakaty224 The 130 was a better car. More hp, better fuel mileage and slightly better handling. And did it have a 5th gear as standard after 1986?
mg how cute is a 24yo VBH she sounds posh beacuse she is - racing family, independent school next door to camgridge uni, family farm, must have taken a while to lose that accent to sound more 'accessible' on TV
My first car Skoda 105L, newer failed me , started on first try even in - 20 c. The best part was you could fix it easily and cheep with minimal tools available. Perfect first car. Shame that corrosion eat it away because basically no metal protection in extreme climates started it up very quickly.
In 2009 we took a trip from Leicester,UK to Italy in 2001 Skoda Fabia Estate diesel with 140K miles on the clock.Through France and Swiss Alps,Italy,14 days,nearly 3000 miles without ANY trouble! (well,excluding one flat tyre,but that doesn't count :) Last year I drove that car through Hardknot Pass in Lake District(30% up and down-the-hill !),no hassle.My mate still have that Skoda,he's using it for getting to work(50 miles round trip)every day,no major faults.Ugly,uncomfortable,but reliable!
I love the Skoda Rapide. I used to take the piss out of it as a child, but as I've grown up, I've started to like its retro shape a lot. My Uncle in Hungary had one in the early 90s, a white Rapide and I often wondered what it would be like to stick a large engine in the back and some old-skool wheels on it.
I drive Škoda Felicia from 1998 and I am saying its best car I have ever driven. Its basicly modernised Favorit, but still like 75% czech. It has combination of old school with modern of that time. If you can get it, I recommand it to you.
Yeah but this top gear used to tell you things like how certain car parts worked. I'm in my university motor club so I am a car enthusiast, your idea of a car enthusiast is someone who dreams about earning enough to buy supercars. Its called being a supercar spotter . And I do find top gear hilarious. In the early series of new top gear they used to do cheap car challenges, some supercars and some average joe cars, it was all in balance and still funny
The rear engined Skodas had about 21 class wins in the RAC Rally...if anybody is old enough to remember it's hey day in the 1970s.....and no, they weren't the only cars in the class...
My Dad had one, someone drove into him head on as they were distracted changing their casette. Cops turn up later to take another statement off my Dad, at my house, on a main road in Newcastle driving.....a Ford Escort RS Cosworth.
O.K yah! VIcki Butler-Henderson had a posh sloane ranger voice back when she was young.The cars were interesting wonder if there still road worthy or just barn find by now ???
if you would modify that skoda today which brand or which type of springs and dumpers would you go for ? something really cheap its only going to be for fun
My dad used to have a favorit. He always tells me that if I wanted to experience real speed you don't need a sports car because 50 in a favorit felt like 200 in a modern car.
Vag bought Skoda to kill it's unique breed. Man trying the same with remains of Tatra. Obviously, Germans couldn't stand oncoming competition, so they hatched a plan..
@@jayswarrow1196 There wasn't really a choice. In the late 80s Škoda factory could hardly afford to mantain their machinery, let alone design new cars. A new Favorit sold for 90 000 crowns and due to the planned economy they hardly made 0.5% in profit.
You bet there wasn't a choice, but the origins of the problem were "shaded" by financial status. We all know, present Skodas are Vw in disquise, but Vag could just move in with their models and have it all, yet, they just *had* to buy Skoda factories, with all the "unworthy" equipment, and make the same stuff, with the different brand? Come on... It's basic market stuff: you want to buy concurrence - you make sure they'll have problems with realisation of the product. Then, you offer them a bond. Then a bail out. And then just walk in with pocket change for everything. That's how their economical geniuses work, and i hope that we're just about to hear more details on the subjects, like the eco-diesel shenanigans..
@@jayswarrow1196 Sorry but no. The Skoda factories were mismanaged and suffered under their former communist ownership. When the czechoslovakian revolution happened, and the state switched to capitalism, the factories had almost no resources to continue production. That led to a deal with VW to produce Skoda Favorit as an extremely cheap cars under VW ownership, until a better more modern and competitive could be developed. Maybe there were some other ways Skoda could have solved their situation. But the deal with volkswagen was probably a better choice than just going bankrupt.
Yes sir, but these Skodas were built in 85-89 in Czechoslovakia, so it can me M-reg or anythin, neverthenless these cars were older than 94 except the blue on the begining of the film is a Skoda Favorit not the Rapid, and its the younger brother to the Rapids. Anyway coool vid, btw I know these cars cause I am from Czechoslovakia, had couple of them. Safe and peace bro
Skoda were never shit, but they were built down to a price. Did any one elses 1.1 L set the world alight, no not really, other than the Mini & that could get four adults in it only if they were happy to loose blood circulation. Skoda made good size economical cars. If anything they handled better with some weight in them.
I can remember the fiat powered one doing the rounds at the time. Also the yellow hill climber, It didn't have quite enough power and the gear ratios were to tall. For the uk hills 10mph per 1000 rpm in top is about right for 1400cc class. Even the odd cwp (4.7:1)? that was made that all the group A rally boys looked for, was too tall
+Bart Fifth Gear was first broadcast on 8 April 2002 as 5th Gear, and as a continuation of the original incarnation of the BBC show Top Gear, which was cancelled in 2001. Top Gear was relaunched later that year; Channel 5 originally wanted to carry on using the Top Gear name, but the BBC refused. Several of Top Gear's ex-presenters, including Quentin Willson, Tiff Needell, and Vicki Butler-Henderson, were hired by Channel 5 to present the series.
you need to change ,,only,, whole suspension, breaks, wheels and engine and old Skoda can drive well :D we had one when I was kid, it was 110L, I hated it, sitting in back during hot summer, awful smell from the engine coming through back seats, overheating..... no thank you.....on other hand, Favorit was a great car to drive.
Just spotted your post. The clip IS from 94/95 and not 85-89!!!! Unless Skoda did some serious pre-registrations!! The blue Skoda at the beginning of the film is a 94, M-Reg!! Thanks for watching though!! ;)
I am Czech by heritage, but not being able to speak the language and not being especially familiar with the culture makes me feel less Czech and more German -- (I can speak German fluently and like to think I understand the culture rather well). I'd like a Skoda, but I suppose I don't identify with the Czech Republic. Feel like I'm between to countries!
wiki/%C5%A0koda_Auto#1990s as you can see - the blue skoda favorit must have been one of the last ones they made.. I'm not trying to be a smartass.. just, if you are interested in skodas, here's a little link to help you ..
Zajímalo by me co tam řikaj..:D nechcete to nekdo přeložit do češtiny?..:) Díky/I wonder what they say there ..: D do not want anyone to translate into Czech? .. Thanks :)
I know inflation has something to do with it. But I like how they talk about £20k being expensive for a car. Modern top gear calls a £200k supercar cheap. This was when top gear was about testing affordable cars and cars for the average Joe. Now each episode of new top gear comprises of : an unaffordable (to most) supercar, a quarter of the show taken up by the star. the news and a challenge, suppose its ok with a cheap car challenge though. I still like the show, but they don't seem to do much.
