Skoda

Helping orphans the way you would do it

Škoda Auto is an automobile manufacturer in the Czech Republic, now part of VAG. Established in 1895 as Laurin & Klement, it was merged with Škoda Works in 1925 and was acquired by VAG in 1991.

Unlike fellow Eastern-bloc manufacturers such as Lada-AutoVAZ, and Zastava, Škoda has been fortunate in having been taken over by a major western corporation. Since 1991, VAG has invested billions of dollars into the once beleaguered company and has transformed Škoda's image almost overnight with a range of new, VW-developed models.

During the 1980's and early 90's, Škodas had a poor reputation. Since being purchased by VAG, the design - both style and engineering - has improved greatly and Škoda now use this reputation as part of their advertising, with the slogan: 'It is a Skoda, honest.'. In a 2003 advertisement on British television, a new employee on the production line is fitting Škoda badges on the car bonnets. When some attractive looking cars come along he stands back, not fitting the badge, since they are too good to be Škodas. Some British owners of the Škoda Octavia have even gone as far as to fit VW badges to it, to avoid embarrassment. In fact, the Octavia is engineered by VW, and is mechanically similar to the VW Passat and Audi A4.

2001 Skoda Fabia
Larger version<br>

Škoda has been successful in rallying.

Škoda Works was the biggest industrial enterprise in Austria-Hungary and then Czechoslovakia and among the biggest in Europe. Founded by Emil Škoda in 1869 in Plzen it soon became the leading arms manufacturer in the country producing heavy guns for navy, mountain guns or mortars as well as locomotives, aircraft, ships, machine tools, steam turbines, power-engineering equipment, etc. Prior to World War II and during the occupation by Nazi Germany Škoda also produced LT-35 and LT-38 tanks, which are better known under their German labels Panzer 35(t) and Panzer 38(t).

Mountain guns produced by Škoda:

The present-day company specializes in heavy machinery (such as nuclear reactors and locomotives).

As an interesting aside, Škoda (i.e. the family name of Emil Skoda, the enterpreneur who bought the firm in 1869) happens to mean also damage or "pity" in Czech. Consequently, "To je škoda" can mean either "It's a pity" or "That's a Skoda".

See also: List of automobiles

External link

Škoda Auto