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Originally Posted by oldE
I saw a Skoda at the Halifax airport a few years ago and knew at a glance what it was, as it's VW ownership/lineage was apparent.
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Heh, as opposed to the older, pre-VW, versions, which is what I still think of when I hear that name (from Wikipedia):
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In the late 1980s, Škoda (then named Automobilové závody, národní podnik, Mladá Boleslav or AZNP) was still manufacturing cars that conceptually dated back to the 1960s. Rear engined models such as the Škoda 105/120, Estelle and Rapid sold steadily and performed well against more modern makes in races such as the RAC Rally in the 1970s and 1980s. They won their class in the RAC rally for 17 years running. They were powered by a 130 brake horsepower (97 kW), 1,289 cubic centimetres (78.7 cu in) engine. In spite of its dated image and being the subject of jokes, the Škoda remained a common sight on the roads of UK and Western Europe throughout the 1970s and 80s.
Sport versions of the Estelle and earlier models were produced, using "Rapid" as the version name. Soft-top versions were also available. The Rapid was once described as the 'poor man's Porsche', and had significant sales success in the UK during the 1980s.[5]
"Of course, that the Škoda became such a figure of fun was in part due to its ubiquity on Britain's roads. The company must have been doing something right". extract from BBC report on Škoda sales in 1980s.
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Someone I knew had one. He said a hundredweight bag of fertiliser/cement in the front trunk was essential to avoid terminal understeer... To the point where he eventually just mixed the cement up and poured it in to the trunk floor, because he was tempted to take it out once for luggage capacity and almost came to regret it...