Cars from the Foothills of the Krkonoše Mountains

Cars from the Foothills of the Krkonoše Mountains 

1908 The Vrchlabí plant is the birthplace of countless commercial derivatives of Škoda cars, including ambulances.

Customers have appreciated vehicles from Vrchlabí as far back as the 19th century, but the bodywork was not added until 1908. 

The first post-war model

The company’s expansion during World War II was followed in 1946 by nationalisation and incorporation into AZNP. Production with the winged arrow in the logo began with the popular Škoda 1101 “Tudors”, whose bodies were manufactured in the newly incorporated plants in Vrchlabí and Kvasiny. The basis of the range was a two-door closed car (from the English “two-door”, hence the nickname Tudor), to which a four-door sedan was added, and the range also included Tudor convertibles. The delivery van and station wagon bodies proved to be highly practical.  

A fundamental technological breakthrough

In 1952, a fundamental change took place in production technology. It was the end of the road for carpenters whose main job had been to prepare the bodywork. The new Škoda 1200 “Sedan” already had an all-metal construction in the pontoon body style (i.e. with integrated fenders). The rigid yet relatively light body contributed to increased passive safety, and its advantages included generous space for passengers and luggage. In addition to the stepped rear variant, the advantages of the all-metal body were also applied to derivative light commercial vehicles. In 1956, it was replaced by the modernised Škoda 1201 with a more powerful engine.

Everyday workhorse

Although the development of the Škoda 1203 model took 12 years, the result was a modern car for its time, closely linked to the Vrchlabí plant. Development of a commercial vehicle with a single-space self-supporting body began as early as 1956, and the first three prototypes, designated 979, were unveiled at the beginning of the following year. However, because of the rigid centrally controlled economy, the development of the Škoda 1203 was ultimately delayed, and even the start of production was not easy. In the end, the start of series production was postponed until 1968. The delivery van version was soon followed by an eight-seater minibus in Standard and De Luxe versions, a Com commercial version, a flatbed truck, an ambulance and a hearse. Several dozen cars were modified for the needs of veterinarians, and there was even a version for firefighters and several prototypes of refrigerated and camping versions. The car was manufactured here until 1981 when production was taken over by Trnava Automobile Works.

Luxury for export

The Škoda 120 GLS model, which was considered top of the line at the time, was also manufactured in Vrchlabí. The GLS designation denotes the luxury trim of the popular 120: Grand de Luxe Super. In 1976, a 40-car verification series of the sedan was produced in Vrchlabí. Serial production began in August 1978, with over 70% of the cars destined for export. However, production was still complicated by the delayed transfer of the Škoda 1203 commercial model to Trnava, Slovakia.  

Further production

The Vrchlabí plant also began mass production of the Favorit, Forman and Felicia models, including the Felicia Fun leisure version and later the Octavia. In 2012, the plant was transformed to manufacture modern DQ200 direct-shift dual-clutch automatic transmissions, which are used in several Škoda models and other VW Group cars.