the uncompromising Czech sedan is celebrating its 65th anniversary

It’s March 1959. At the Geneva motor show, the Czech manufacturer Škoda rents a stand to display two of its new products.

Octavia sedan and Felicia convertible. Two modern cars, with modified front axle.

Two modern cars, with modified front axle. The leaf suspension is replaced by coil springs along with shock absorbers. But this Octavia will bring a lot more to the brand.

Why Octavia?

Škoda has stopped naming models with numbers and is starting to name them. For the sedan, which was previously called Škoda 440/445, the name Octavia was chosen, derived from the Latin number “octava”, which means eight.

This is actually the eighth model produced by the brand since 1945. It is also the eighth model with a central chassis, independent front suspension and four-cylinder engines.

The performance is normal, the basic version continues 40 hp, the top version reaches 45 hp at a maximum speed of 115 km / h!

Conquering New York

A convertible version of this Octavia, the Felicia, would make its transatlantic debut at the New York Auto Show at the Theater in April 1959.

Three models are on display along with 70 exhibitors from around the world. The Czechoslovak convert aroused great interest. Despite the short work, in just five years, almost 15,000 units of money changers had been produced for the markets of Europe, South America, Central America and even Africa.

The first generation Octavia sedan sold 365,379 copies.

1991: Volkswagen buys Škoda

In 1991, the Volkswagen group bought the Czech manufacturer. The brand remains the Preferred, a modern compact, front-wheel drive and accessible car.

But the treasury is empty, the equipment is worn out and everything has to be redone. Volkswagen quickly rebadged the Favorit to become the Félicia.

A more modern factory is being built in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic. But a whole new model is needed to save the brand.

1996, revolution

What better way to relaunch a brand than to name it after the brand’s biggest success ever? The new compact sedan from Škoda Auto will therefore be called Octavia.

The car is built to the latest standards, in the most modern factory in Europe, and comes from the organic bank of the Volkswagen Group.

The risk is high, European motorists do not want to step into the brand’s business, thinking they will find the same poorly finished cars from the communist era there.

Just clever

However, this Octavia is not afraid of anyone and will quickly prove it. When it was released, everyone praised its design, which launched a new era for the manufacturer.

The presentation and finish have nothing to envy European production and the Octavia is at the very top in terms of crash tests and overall safety.

Based on the chassis of the Volkswagen Golf, it is bigger than the last one, it can seat more but it costs less! In just a few years, Skoda has gone from an “Eastern brand” to a “smart purchase”.

Institute

After eight years of work, this Octavia released the second generation in 2004, then the third in 2012 and finally the fourth in 2019.

Even though it has been continuously developed since 1996, with more sophistication, equipment, and ever-increasing prices, the Skoda Octavia remains faithful to the basic concept.

A car that offers more space at a better price. But Skoda is no longer seen in the same way at all. Octavia has exceeded 7 million copies sold.