- Skoda is one of the oldest automobile manufacturers in the world
- Celebrating 115 years since the launch of its car manufacturing business
While Skoda is over a decade old in India, globally it is one of the oldest automobile manufacturer in the world. In 2020, the Czech manufacturer celebrates its 125th anniversary.
The Skoda story began in 1895 where they started off with bicycles and finally moved on to motorcycles in 1899. 1900 saw their first car called the Voiturette A which was a huge success.
The early 1930s were challenging for Skoda as it wrestled with a large range and a market greatly affected by the Great Depression. Luckily, the brand made a breakthrough with the new and modern Skoda Popular, which was to become hugely popular in the second half of the decade. Between 1950 – 1970, Skoda marked the 70th anniversary of the factory crew’s participation in the 24-hour Le Mans in a Skoda Sport. The 1950s also saw the launch of the Skoda 440 which, in 1959, evolved into the first Octavia, named because it was the eighth model to be produced after the end of World War II.
Skoda continued to make new and improved cars – in the form of the legendary Octavia, the elegant 2+2 coupe Skoda 110 R, the Felicia roadster, and the 1000 MB range, but production really only grew again with the arrival of the Favorit model range in 1987.
In December 1990, Skoda became the fourth brand in the Volkswagen Group, alongside Volkswagen, Audi and Seat. Under Volkswagen Group ownership Skoda has flourished. In three decades the brand’s production has grown six fold as models such as the Superb, Octavia and Fabia have built a loyal fan base. The introduction of Skoda’s SUV family that includes Kodiaq, Karoq, and Kamiq have cemented the brand’s reputation for excellent engineering and value for money. 2020 will mark the beginning of a new era for Skoda with the arrival of the all-electric SUV, Enyaq, the brand’s first vehicle to be based on the Volkswagen Group’s Modular Electric Platform (MEB). As part of its ongoing product campaign, Skoda will be launching more than ten partially or fully electric cars before the end of 2022.
