OctaviaHERITAGE DRIVING DAY 1959-2019 PRESS INFORMATION Octavia1959-2019 MODEL: OCTAVIA CODE: TYPE 968 INTRODUCED: 1959 BUILT: MLADÁ BOLESLAV KVASINY 1959-1971 2 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 05 BACKGROUND 06 1959 OCTAVIA 07 OCTAVIA REBORN - MK1: 1996-2004 12 OCTAVIA MK2: 2004-2013 14 OCTAVIA MK3: 2013-PRESENT 16 ŠKODA UK HERITAGE FLEET 18 PRESS OFFICE CONTACTS 40 MODEL: OCTAVIA CURRENT CODE: TYP 5E INTRODUCED: 1996 VERSIONS: 96/04/13 BUILT: MLADÁ BOLESLAV 1996-PRESENT 3 OCTAVIA 1959 - 2019 4 OCTAVIA 1959 - 2019 INTRODUCTION The ŠKODA Octavia, the brand’s most successful model both globally and in the UK celebrates another remarkable milestone in 2019 – the 60th anniversary of its introduction. Originally designed to bring affordable and high-quality motoring to as many people as possible at an unbeatable price, the design and engineering philosophies behind the Octavia remain the same today. Over the years, the multi-million selling Octavia has proved itself to be one of the most adaptable and practical cars on the market. It has set Land Speed Records, been transformed into a title-winning rally car and become one of the most trusted cars used by our emergency services. While the Octavia has been a huge sales success around the world, the British have developed one of the strongest bonds with ŠKODA’s brilliant all-rounder. More than 500,000 examples have found loving homes on our shores since the very first 1959 model rolled onto UK roads. And, six decades later, it remains ŠKODA’s top-seller with a range that includes nine equipment levels, 14 engine and transmission options and two body styles. 5 OCTAVIA 1959 - 2019 THE ROAD TO OCTAVIA After the end of WWII hostilities, ŠKODA began to rebuild its shattered factories and decimated workforce. Having been requisitioned by occupying forces during the war, car production had been reduced to a trickle while design and development of new models had stopped completely. Output shrank from 7,020 cars and commercial vehicles in 1939 to just 316 in 1945. Then, just hours after the declaration of peace was signed on 9 May 1945, retreating forces bombed the Mladá Boleslav factory, causing significant damage to the few remaining elements of the car tooling and production lines. Undaunted, ŠKODA workers set to work. Incredibly, production was able to restart on 24 May – just 15 days after the air raid. On 24 June, the very first post-war ŠKODA – a Type 256 truck rolled though the factory gates, marking the start of a new era for the brand. Car production also began, albeit in very limited numbers, thanks to ŠKODA’s canny decision to squirrel away a large number of parts before the factory was requisitioned. In 1946, a year after the war had ended, ŠKODA revealed its first ‘new’ post-war car. The 1101 Tudor was heavily based on the pre-war Popular, but it represented a significant step forward for the brand. However, building cars was still a far from simple operation. ŠKODA was forced to list the Tudor’s price without tyres as there was no government-approved supplier, while sales were briefly halted in Western Europe when it became clear that some of the car’s electronics were supplied by a company that was still on an Allied forces blacklist. By the early 1950s, many of the teething troubles of the early post-war years had been sorted. ŠKODA was enjoying strong domestic and international demand for its cars and boasted healthy order books across the range. And while factory investment was almost non-existent, the talented design and engineering teams were able to create new models that utilised existing running gear and components. The handsome 440 Spartak of 1955 was still largely based on the 1201 (which itself owed much to the pre-war Popular), but delivered a modern look and a host of creature comforts that gave it significant buyer appeal. ŠKODA 1201 ŠKODA 440 Spartak 6 OCTAVIA 1959 - 2019 1959 OCTAVIA 363,106 produced The success of the Spartak 440 and 445 models proved that market demand for ŠKODA’s stylish and OCTAVIA neatly engineered cars was higher than ever. With potentially lucrative markets such as the United States FAST FACT and India keen to embrace the brand, ŠKODA pulled out all the stops for its next model – the Octavia. The eighth post-war car to be designed and built at Mladá Boleslav, the Octavia took its name from the The Octavia’s name Latin word for eight – octo – and arrived in 1959. In terms of design and engineering, the Octavia featured was derived from the same tubular backbone chassis design as its predecessor (the 440/445) but replaced the leaf spring suspension with more sophisticated double wishbone coil spring set up that transformed the driving the Latin word for experience. A perfect example of ŠKODA’s engineering resourcefulness, the new suspension system was introduced at a fraction of the cost of a new chassis, but delivered a vastly superior ride and much sharper eight, and marked handling. To all intents and purposes, it looked and felt like a completely new car. the eighth post-war The first two-door version left the main plant in Mladá Boleslav in January 1959 – alongside its car built predecessors, the Spartak 440 and 445 for the first few weeks while parts stocks were used up. Early examples were powered by a 1.1-litre four-cylinder engine that delivered 40PS to the rear wheels via a four-speed transmission. Despite its modest output, the Octavia had a top speed of nearly 70mph and returned 30.5mpg. The motoring press praised the newcomer’s road manners and were impressed by many of the Octavia’s new features, including the asymmetric headlights that cast an even brighter beam of light at night. 7 OCTAVIA 1959 - 2019 A more powerful Octavia Super (a direct replacement for the 445) arrived later the same year with 45PS and a larger 1.2-litre engine. International demand for the Octavia rose sharply following positive media reports, with importers across Europe keen to secure examples to keep a growing band of buyers happy. On 10 March 1960, the Octavia Touring Sport (quickly abbreviated to TS) made its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show. Built as a performance variant, it offered a further modest power boost to 50PS and allowed ŠKODA to re-enter the world of motorsport. Although the factory was still struggling to find funds to develop the next generation of car, officials felt that rallying provided a cost-effective marketing tool to help generate fuller order books. Their faith in the quality, speed and reliability of the Octavia TS soon paid dividends, with the factory team recording a hat-trick of class victories on the Monte Carlo rally in 1961, 1962 and 1963. ŠKODA Trekka On 11 September 1960, ŠKODA presented the Octavia Combi in Brno for the first time. With a clever two-piece, horizontally split tailgate, the Combi again showcased the brand’s passion for innovation and practicality. Despite its compact exterior dimensions and still only being a two door model, the Combi could comfortably seat five passengers and provided 690 litres of boot space with a loading length of 0.965 meters. With the rear backrests folded down, the luggage compartment could be increased to 1,050 litres. By the early 1960s, ŠKODA’s export drive was in full swing. The Octavia’s combination of elegant looks, robust engineering and fine value made it a hit with British buyers, who were prepared to endure the considerable waiting lists in order to secure one. And it wasn’t just the UK where the Octavia was a hit. Its robust and simple underpinnings made it the perfect machine for poor roads and countries as far afield as Chile and New Zealand imported significant numbers during its production run. 8 OCTAVIA 1959 - 2019 9 OCTAVIA 1959 - 2019 10 OCTAVIA 1959 - 2019 Enterprising importers also saw the opportunity to tailor the Octavia to their specific market needs. Knocked down kits were supplied to New Zealand where local engineers would build what was known as a Trekka – a rugged utilitarian vehicle with raised ground clearance, a 500kg payload and Octavia running gear. A similar variant – badged Skopak – was developed for Pakistan in conjunction with Haroon Industries. Like the Trekka, it featured a steel skeleton capable of carrying 500kg loads and fibreglass body panels. Such was the popularity of these kits that production of the Trekka kits continued well into the 1970s with emerging economies such as Indonesia taking significant numbers. Back at the factory, however, plans to completely replace the Octavia meant that development of the current car (and almost every other product line) was effectively on hold. Government officials were pushing ŠKODA to develop a true people’s car and demanded that all design and engineering resources be redirected to the new project. However, while sales were strong, the factory was becoming increasingly inefficient. High import duties in ŠKODA’s big export markets took a further toll on profitability, and while the new People’s car project offered the design teams the chance to work on something genuinely new, the resources to develop and build it were in short supply. The development of the Octavia’s replacement was anything but smooth. ŠKODA management wanted to design a car that would truly break the mould and provide the basis of its product line for the next decade. Monocoque design was seen as the way forward, along with rear-mounted all-aluminium engines for lightness and efficiency. However, both these required significant investment and time.