Welcome to London's Skoda Independent Garage.We have a team of independent Skoda specialists who can sort out anything from basic Skoda servicing to advanced technical Skoda cars problems. One of the best independent Skoda Master Technician on site offering knowledge and experience using the latest Skoda Main Dealer garage compulsory diagnostics equipment.

Andrea Frydlová, Head of the ŠKODA Museum says: “The sporty Laurin & Klement BSC from 1908 is the only surviving example of twelve produced in total. We are delighted to have this unique vehicle as one of our most valuable exhibits following an extensive, two-year restoration.”

The Laurin & Klement BSC appears in numerous films
The only surviving Laurin & Klement BSC, which can now be seen in the ŠKODA Museum, was completed on 12 July 1908. The engine number 5635 confirms the authenticity of the vehicle. The rarity changed hands often and underwent many modifications. For example, the L&K BSC was converted into a racing car for the film ‘Dědeček automobil’ (Grandpa Car) by Alfréd Radok, which was released in Czechoslovak cinemas on 27 March 1957. Later, the shape of the BSC’s bonnet and fender, as well as many details were changed – also for other film appearances. However, all the essential mechanical parts have been preserved, and the vehicle, which has always been roadworthy throughout the years, is one of the fixed stars of the Czechoslovak vintage car scene.

In 2016, the unique Laurin & Klement BSC found its way into the inventory of the ŠKODA Museum in Mladá Boleslav where experts first analysed the condition of the vehicle in detail and then researched its history in the archives. Later, they began the complex process of restoring the BSC as close as possible to its condition in 1908. The BSC is now one of the most valuable exhibits of the ŠKODA Museum in Mladá Boleslav.

The history of the BS model family
After launching bicycle production in late 1895, Václav Laurin and Václav Klement’s company extended their range in 1899 to include motorcycles. Just a few years later, starting in late 1905, the entrepreneurs presented the production version of their first automobile – the Laurin & Klement Voiturette A. Over the next two years, the young carmakers continued to develop their model range and implement several profound structural changes. The rapidly increasing demand for the modern vehicles from Mladá Boleslav with their favourable price/performance ratio led to a rapid increase in production figures – from a few dozen automobiles in 1906 to nearly 500 in 1908.

The BS model series established an important position in those years. In contrast to the Voiturette type A, B and B2 with two-cylinder V-engines built first, the later BS series had a two-cylinder with 1399 cc displacement and 10 hp (7.4 kW) performance. Because the ambitious company was consistently aligned to the needs of its customers, Laurin & Klement models in the BS family had features designed specifically for different customer groups such as doctors and business people. The model range included at least six different wheelbases from 1,905 to 2,380 millimetres and five gauges from 1,120 to 1,300 millimetres. The manufacturer offered numerous body styles on these bases, ranging from ‘Personen-Voiturettes’ – the French term for small cars – to taxis and light commercial vehicles. Between 1908 and 1909, 66 L&K vehicles of the BS series were built.

The most valuable versions include twelve vehicles in the sporty BSC variant. Their engine power was increased from the standard 10 hp (7.4 kW) to 12 hp (8.8 kW). The first BSC rolled out of the Laurin & Klement factory buildings on 10 June 1908; the last on 20 October 1908. The sporty type BSC was available both as a roadworthy chassis and as a complete vehicle with body. The chassis, for which customers could have individual custom bodies made, cost 5,000 K – the abbreviation for Austro-Hungarian krone. A complete vehicle with an open two-seater standard body was available from L&K for 5,500K.

Article source: www.skoda-storyboard.com

The new ŠKODA interior concept follows the direction set by the ŠKODA VISION RS concept car. The new ŠKODA SCALA marks the first time this emotive design has been translated into a ŠKODA production model. The completely redesigned instrument panel blends seamlessly with the exciting exterior design. The free-standing display is positioned high up and framed by a design line that echoes the contours of the bonnet; below the display, it also creates an ergonomic wrist rest for operating the touchscreen. The instrument panel’s and door trims’ soft-foam surfaces feature large-scale design textures and a specific new grain. This emulates crystalline structures and will define the ŠKODA brand’s style in future.

Ambient lighting with a choice of white or red light as well as warm hues and contrasting stitching for the seat upholstery ensure a pleasant sense of space in the ŠKODA SCALA. As an option, customers can order seat upholstery made from the sophisticated Suedia microfibre. In typical ŠKODA style, the interior provides a tremendous amount of space. This is due to the car’s long wheelbase of 2,649 millimetres, which allows for a luxurious 73 millimetres of knee room on the rear seats, equivalent to that in the ŠKODA OCTAVIA. Rear headroom, at 982 millimetres, is the largest in its class. At 467 litres, the ŠKODA SCALA also boasts the biggest luggage compartment in this segment. With the rear backrest folded down, its volume increases to 1,410 litres.

The ŠKODA SCALA is also best in class in terms of display size. The customisable Virtual Cockpit for instance, available as an option, measures 10.25 inches and allows drivers to choose between five different views. The available infotainment systems, based on the latest-generation Modular Infotainment Matrix, come with a touchscreen measuring up to 9.2 inches that’s positioned high up on the instrument panel, in the driver’s immediate field of vision.

Thanks to a new generation of ŠKODA Connect mobile online services, passengers will have the option of locking and unlocking the car using their mobile phone and updating the software of the infotainment or maps ‘over the air’. In a first for ŠKODA, all delivered ŠKODA SCALA cars will always be online.

Numerous driver assistance systems, working in combination with a variety of passive safety systems, ensure that the ŠKODA SCALA offers a very high level of safety.

The new hatchback model will celebrate its world premiere on 6 December 2018 in Tel Aviv.

Article source: www.skoda-storyboard.com

The new ŠKODA KODIAQ GT is the highlight of this year’s Auto Guangzhou, one of the most important international auto shows in the world’s largest car market – China. Combining the robustness and versatility of an SUV with the sporty elegance and dynamism of a coupé, the new top model in ŠKODA’s SUV family in China appeals to lifestyle-oriented customers. The KODIAQ GT is ŠKODA’s first production model to feature the brand logo in block capitals along the middle of the tailgate.

The front of the 4,634-millimetre ŠKODA KODIAQ GT features a black-framed grille with chrome-plated double ribs. LED headlights as well as three-dimensional bumpers and large air intakes complete the powerful, sporty look. The roof line sloping behind the front doors merges into a flat tailgate, creating a dynamic side view. The side skirts with matt black details emphasize the robustness of the SUV coupé. At the rear, sharply drawn LED taillights in ŠKODA’s characteristic design language feature captivating crystalline shapes. A fine reflective tape runs down the loading sill across the entire width of the vehicle and, alongside the black diffuser, creates additional highlights.

The interior of the new ŠKODA KODIAQ GT is also sporty and stylish. It is characterized by high-quality materials and the fully customizable virtual cockpit, which comes as standard. As is typical for ŠKODA, there are also numerous practical ‘Simply Clever’ ideas. With Wi-Fi access and MirrorLink™, Apple CarPlay as well as Baidu’s Carlife, the KODIAQ GT is always online and at the cutting edge of connectivity. The range of drivetrains includes two efficient engines: The 2.0 TSI with 137 kW (186 hp) drives the front wheels, the 2.0 TSI with 162 kW (220 hp) comes as standard with four-wheel drive and 7-speed DSG. Numerous assistance systems, including Blind Spot Detect, Front Radar Assistant and Adaptive Distance Assistant (ACC) with stop-and-go function, ensure maximum safety.

ŠKODA KAMIQ – second model exclusively for the Chinese market
Not only does ŠKODA offer four SUV model series in China as the only market to date; but the brand also offers another vehicle exclusively for the Chinese market – the ŠKODA KAMIQ. The city SUV is positioned below the ŠKODA KAROQ at 4,390 millimetres long, 1,781 millimetres wide and 1,593 millimetres. The KAMIQ is powered by a newly developed 1.5-litre petrol engine with an output of 81 kW (110 hp) and is aimed at young urban customers in China with its generous space and modern connectivity solutions such as the artificial intelligence system iFLYTEK.

Comprehensive SUV range with the ŠKODA KODIAQ and ŠKODA KAROQ
Between the flagship ŠKODA KODIAQ GT and the entry-level ŠKODA KAMIQ, ŠKODA offers the KODIAQ and KAROQ, which are also available in Europe. With an outside length of 4,697 millimetres, an optional third-row of seats and a boot volume of up to 2,065 litres, the KODIAQ is even more versatile than the dynamic KODIAQ GT. Several efficient engines are also available for the SUV – a 1.4 TSI with 110 kW (150 hp), 2.0 TSI with 137 kW (186 hp) and a 2.0 TSI with 162 kW (220 hp). In addition, the KODIAQ offers modern connectivity solutions and numerous assistance systems, which the ŠKODA KAROQ also features in China. At 4,432 millimetres long and with a wheelbase of 2,688 millimetres, it is 50 millimetres larger than the European KAROQ in both dimensions. The engines are available with 1.2 litre and 1.5 litre TSI engines, delivering 85 kW (115 hp) and 110 kW (150 hp) respectively.

Alongside the SUVs, the Czech brand’s entire product range, including the SUPERB, OCTAVIA and OCTAVIA COMBI as well as the RAPID and RAPID SPACEBACK, will be presented in China at the SAIC ŠKODA stand in hall 6. 1.

The Chinese market has been the largest sales market for the ŠKODA brand since 2010. In 2017, ŠKODA delivered 325,000 vehicles in China – one in every four ŠKODAs delivered worldwide. In the first ten months of this year, the Czech brand grew by double-digit figures in China. At the end of October 2018, ŠKODA delivered 276,300 vehicles to customers in the region, surpassing the previous year’s result by 12.5 %. The SUV models, in particular, play an important role in the brand’s growth strategy in China: More than 30 % of all vehicles sold in China this year have been SUVs.

A five-year memorandum of understanding signed in 2016 on the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to the Czech Republic outlines plans for more than two billion euros to be invested in the expansion of the SUV range and ŠKODA vehicles with alternative drivetrains.

Article source: www.skoda-storyboard.com