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In keeping with tradition, the ŠKODA Classic team will be taking part in the Sachsen Classic car rally, staged this year for the 19^th time. Seven ŠKODA vehicles, including five exhibits from the ŠKODA Museum in Mladá Boleslav, will be heading to the race. The one-hundredth rally starts on Thursday, 18 August in Zwickau, taking the participants in approximately 200 historic vehicles through the Czech Republic, as well. After 582 kilometres, the finalists will reach the finish line in Chemnitz on Saturday, 20 August.

“The Sachsen Classic is traditionally one of the most popular classic car rallies in Europe. We are very much looking forward to the event; for ŠKODA AUTO, taking part in the ‘Mille Miglia of the East’ is a very special highlight every time. This year, we will be starting with five vehicles from the ŠKODA Museum. They are real brand icons and represent various phases of our long corporate history.”

Andrea Frydlová, Head of the ŠKODA Museum in Mladá Boleslav

This year, the ŠKODA Classic team consists of seven crews, including two vehicles from ŠKODA AUTO Deutschland. The importer will be heading to the track with a ŠKODA 110 R from 1978 and the legendary ŠKODA 130 RS (1976). The 130 RS was one of the most successful rally and racing cars in its class in the late 1970s and early 1980s: In 1977, the model took class victory in the Monte Carlo Rally, and in 1981, ŠKODA won the European Championship with it in the brand classification of the European Touring Car Championship.

The other five models belong to the ŠKODA Museum collection in Mladá Boleslav, the oldest being the ŠKODA RAPID OHV ‘Autobahn Wagen’ (1940). Only 100 of these special vehicles, which were optimised in a wind tunnel, were built between 1939 and 1941. With a capacity of 1,600 cm³ and an output of 42 hp (31 kW), the engine reaches a top speed of 120 km/h.

The ŠKODA 1101 ‘Tudor’ Roadster (1948) is also taking to the track. With its stylish body, this vehicle was completed at the Vrchlabí plant at the beginning of October 1948 after being ordered by the Prime Minister’s Office.

The era of ŠKODA vehicles with a rear engine and self-supporting body is represented by the timelessly elegant ŠKODA 1100 MBX de Luxe (1969). One striking design feature of this model is its missing B pillar. Combined with a curb weight of around 800 kg, the 51 hp (38.2 kW) engine with a displacement of 1,100 cm³ clocks a top speed of 127 km/h.

The ŠKODA 110 R Coupé (1971) from the ŠKODA Museum collection is one of the final units of the first model year. The sporty two-door is one of the Czech car manufacturer’s most iconic vehicles. Thanks to its twin carburettors, the lightweight, manoeuvrable car can reach speeds of 145 km/h.

The notchback ŠKODA 120 GLS (1978) with the range-topping Grand de Luxe Super trim can hit 150 km/h; the engine generates 58 hp (43 kW). The ŠKODA Museum acquired this car from the original owner in April 1978, and it has been representing the museum at classic car events in Germany and abroad since last year.

The popular Sachsen Classic is one of the so-called one-hundredth rallies: Speed is not the decisive factor for success; what counts is precision and regularity of driving. On Thursday, 18 August, the first car will set off from Zwickau in Saxony. The first stage will take the teams through the surrounding countryside before returning to Zwickau after 95 kilometres. The rally crews will also be driving through the Czech Republic on Friday. At around 11:00, they will reach the grounds of Kynžvart (Königswart) Castle. The route passes Chodovar brewery and Loket castle (Ellbogen) before ascending to the border mountain range, which the vehicles will cross in Boží Dar (Gottesgab). After 254 kilometres, they will have completed the second stage. On the third day, the route covers 233 kilometres through the Ore Mountains. That afternoon, the vehicles will reach the finish line in front of Chemnitz city hall, having travelled 582 kilometres.

Article source: www.skoda-storyboard.com

ŠKODA AUTO will start installing the new ME3 software version for already delivered ŠKODA ENYAQ iV vehicles with immediate effect. This will enable a higher real drive range through optimisations in battery management. The software also offers numerous improvements for the Digital Cockpit and the head-up display, the infotainment system and the ŠKODA Connect online services. Owners of qualifying vehicles will be contacted by their local ŠKODA partners and asked to book a free service appointment to install the new software. The process takes about five hours. From then on, most future updates will be performed over the air. New ŠKODA ENYAQ iV vehicles and the ŠKODA ENYAQ COUPÉ iV already come with the new software as standard. A short video also provides an overview of these optimizations.

ŠKODA AUTO is performing a software update for existing ENYAQ iV vehicles, as part of a free service campaign. The software version ME3 with which, of course, all now delivered models of the ENYAQ iV family are already equipped, offers a variety of optimizations: it ensures an increased real drive range by optimising battery management and also includes new functions for the displays, the infotainment system and the ŠKODA Connect online services.

Local ŠKODA partners will contact the relevant owners of an ENYAQ iV and ask them to arrange a free service appointment at the workshop. Installing the ME3 software version takes around five hours. In addition to all the current improvements, once this is done the ŠKODA ENYAQ iV will be ready to have most future updates installed over the air, without the need to come in for another visit to the workshop.

In terms of battery and charging, the new software offers, among other things, a battery care mode in which the battery is only charged to a maximum of 80 percent during the next charging process. This helps to conserve the battery and extend its service life. However, its full storage capacity and maximum charging speed will be available at any time, should there be a need for them. The maximum charging rate increases to 120 kW for vehicles featuring the 62-kWh battery and 135 kW for models with the large 82-kWh battery. Thanks to improved thermal management of the battery, the real drive range increases for the ŠKODA ENYAQ iV family. The charging and range graphics in the infotainment system now also include a display of the destination and any required charging stops.

There have also been improvements to the Digital Cockpit and the head-up display, including displays of the current battery charge level. The rear-view camera offers increased contrast, for improved visibility of the vehicle’s surroundings. A button on the multifunction steering wheel allows the driver to switch quickly and easily between Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Travel Assist. In addition, numerous ŠKODA Connect online services have been expanded or refined, making them even more intuitive to use.

ŠKODA has so far delivered more than 70,000 vehicles from its ENYAQ iV family to customers, giving the SUV a 3.5% share of the all-electric vehicle market in Europe. The Czech carmaker’s flagship is in seventh place in the ranking of the most sold BEVs across the EU. A look at the individual European markets also highlights the success of the ENYAQ iV series: In the brand’s Czech domestic market, ENYAQ iV family models are top sellers among BEVs, as they are in Slovakia, Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands, while they rank third in Austria, Switzerland, Latvia and Estonia.

Article source: www.skoda-storyboard.com

ŠKODA AUTO is supporting the Tour de France Femmes avec ZWIFT as the main partner. From 24 July to 31 July, the peloton will face eight stages over a distance of 1,029 kilometres. This is the first time the event is taking place in this form; a one-day event for women was last held as part of the Tour de France in 1984. The Czech car manufacturer is providing the organisers and numerous teams with a fleet of more than 50 vehicles. In addition, ŠKODA is sponsoring the green jersey for the leader of the points classification.

“The Tour de France Femmes is shining the spotlight on top international women’s cycling this year. Through our support as the main partner, we would like to actively contribute to this new event rapidly unfolding its great potential. The goal must be for the Tour de France Femmes to become firmly established in the calendar of the international cycling community in the coming years.”

Martin Jahn, ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Sales and Marketing

The Tour de France Femmes avec ZWIFT will commence on Sunday 24 July against the spectacular backdrop of Paris: At the Eiffel Tower, 144 women in 24 teams will take to the track. The race leads through eastern France in eight stages covering a total distance of 1,029 kilometres and concludes on 31 July at La Super Planche des Belles Filles in the Vosges mountains. The director of the Tour de France Femmes avec ZWIFT is the former cyclist Marion Rousse.

ŠKODA AUTO is supporting the cycling event, which is being held in this form for the first time, as the official main sponsor and vehicle partner. The company is providing the organisers and teams with more than 50 service and support vehicles; the fleet includes the OCTAVIA as well as the SUPERB iV with plug-in hybrid drive. In addition, ŠKODA AUTO is sponsoring the green jersey for the leader of the points classification – just like in the men’s Tour de France.

ŠKODA campaign ‘You have to love it. We all do’ and Tour de France Femmes avec ZWIFT NFTs
ŠKODA is supporting the Tour de France Femmes avec ZWIFT and the Tour de France with the campaign ‘You have to love it. We all do.’ This includes TV commercials, social media activities on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram as well as on the company’s website www.welovecycling.com. This is where cycling fans can find exciting stories and information about the two events as well as a competition with four weekly prize rounds. Prizes include trips to the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec ZWIFT, a signed green jersey, bicycles, cycling equipment and a subscription to the fitness app Strava.

As the main partner of the Tour de France Femmes avec ZWIFT, ŠKODA AUTO is also issuing its own Non Fungible Tokens (NFT), limited to 30 for each stage. The eight designs, which will be published ahead of the race on weareridinghistory.io, were created by Czech artist Ilona Polanski. The NFT for each upcoming stage will also be posted on WeLoveCycling’s Twitter account. Collectors can find out on this website how to gain the exclusive Non-Fungible Tokens, which are offered for free via the energy-efficient Solana blockchain platform.

As the ‘engine of cycling’, the company supports the Tour de France and the Tour of Spain (‘Vuelta’), as well as the amateur race L’Étape, among others. Under the umbrella of the Tour de France, the worldwide racing series enables ambitious amateur cyclists to follow a race stage. In addition, bicycles and cycling accessories are part of the car manufacturer’s extended product range.

Article source: www.skoda-storyboard.com

Vehicles from Mladá Boleslav have been taking part in motorsport events since 1901. The ŠKODA Sport ‘Tudor’ derivative, nicknamed ‘placka’ (pancake) on account of its low-profile aluminium body, competed in the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans. The vehicle is now making its return to the legendary race track on the Sarthe this year at the Le Mans Classic.

The Mladá Boleslav-based manufacturer has been active in motorsport for 121 years. It has since gone down in history with numerous special racing and rally models. In 1946, ŠKODA made its mark with the attractively designed Model 1101, nicknamed the ‘Tudor’ – a Czech phonetic adaptation of the English adjective ‘two-door’. Demand for the new model quickly grew internationally, not least because of its numerous motorsport successes. The car took part in the 2,649 km Rally Rajd Polski (1948) as well as the South American Rally Montevideo – Melo – Montevideo and the circuit race in Spa, Belgium. In this event, three ‘Tudor’ four-seaters covered 1,972 km in 24 hours and crossed the finish line together.

At the Czechoslovak Grand Prix in Brno (1949), the ŠKODA Sport successfully held its own against the competition with numerous parts from the production car and hand-made aluminium pontoon bodywork. The vehicle was then adapted to meet the regulations of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. At the Sarthe, the works team Václav Bobek/Jaroslav Netušil took to the track for the 18^th staging of the race on 24 June 1950.

The ŠKODA Sport had two extra headlights for the night hours of the race, while special openings in the radiator grille improved the cooling of the drum brakes on the front wheels. In addition, the wheelbase had been extended to 2,150 mm to ensure greater driving stability. Including tools and spare parts, the vehicle weighed in at a mere 700 kg. The vehicle featured a water-cooled four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 1,089 cm³, and the electrics came from the Czech manufacturer PAL 12 V. The ŠKODA Sport delivered an output of 50 hp (37 kW) at 5,200 rpm mounted on bias-ply Barum tyres. It ran on a special fuel mixture of petrol, ethanol and acetone. The top speed was 140 km/h, and the fuel consumption was low for its time at 12 litres per 100 km. As a result, the Škodians did not have to refuel as often as many of their competitors.

During the first 13 hours of the race, the driver team Bobek/Netušil fought their way to second place with their ŠKODA Sport in the under 1,100 cm³ category and a sensational fifth place overall based on the power coefficient. However, a minor technical defect prevented the team from reaching their potential; the regulations prevented it from being rectified on site. In the 121^st lap of the race, the piston pin circlip broke. According to the regulations, the crew was only allowed to use the spare parts and tools on board, but the circlip they needed was not among them. The following year, the carmaker planned to field two reworked ŠKODA Sports. However, the political situation prevented this from happening. Thus, the appearance in June 1950 is still to this day the last time a Czech vehicle with a Czech crew would take part in the 24-hour race in Le Mans.

Return after 72 years: Le Mans Classic 2022
The 24-hour race in Le Mans was held for the first time in May 1923 and historic vehicles now also race on the 13.626-kilometer circuit every two years as part of the Le Mans Classic. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the ŠKODA Sport’s appearance to celebrate the the 70^th anniversary of its Le Mans start had to be postponed from June 2020 to July 2022.

The car that had previously competed in the 1950 24 hours of Le Mans entered the event for the first time this year. The painstakingly restored ŠKODA Sport was driven by Stanislav Kafka and Michal Velebný, the head of the restoration workshop at ŠKODA AUTO. His grandfather Josef Velebný had originally designed the bodywork of the ŠKODA Sport. Just as at its first start in 1950, the car took to the track again this year with the number 44. The second of only two ŠKODA Sports ever built took part in the Le Mans Classic back in 2006.

Michal Velebný comments on the start of the Le Mans Classic: “After a six-year renovation, this year we managed to bring the project of returning ŠKODA Sport to Le Mans to a successful goal. The car was able to cope with regular careful maintenance during a difficult weekend, avoiding major technical difficulties. It’s an amazing feat for our 73-year-old car.”

There are numerous individual races in the Le Mans Classic, and registered vehicles from all construction years from 1923 to 1981 are eligible to compete. The organisers divide these into six basic groups and various special categories. The ŠKODA Sport entered the 2022 event in the second group alongside vehicles built between 1949 and 1956.

Each vehicle category competes in three 43-minute heats at the Le Mans Classic. After each half race, the cars pit for a driver change. The last leg begins with a classic Le Mans start: After the starting signal, the drivers sprint to their cars, jump behind the wheel, start their engines and hit the track.

The chequered flag is waved from the 43^rd minute of the race, as soon as the fastest car crosses the finish line. The final standings are determined by the number of laps completed and the time difference between them and the winner. The different technical specifications of the participating vehicles in the respective categories are also taken into account in a separate classification where a special coefficient is the determining factor. In another classification, the vehicles that drove in the various groups with the same starting numbers are aggregated according to teams.

In the packed Class 2 for cars from 1949 to 1956, the crew of Stanislav Kafka / Michal Velebný gave very balanced performances during qualifying and competition rides. The Czechs wiped the performance manko of the car on stronger or younger rivals with a technically clean ride, which earned them 47^th place out of 74 crews in the overall category ranking. In the order recalculated according to the coefficient influenced by the power and engine capacity, the Czech crew is even in 43^rd position. The victory was taken by the Jaguar D-Type from 1954.

Article source: www.skoda-storyboard.com

ŠKODA AUTO delivered 360,600 vehicles worldwide in the first half of 2022 – 30% fewer than in the same period last year. The reasons for this include the war in Ukraine and the ongoing shortage of semiconductors. The operating profit of €676 million is 30.6% below the previous year, while the return on sales remains strong at 6.6% (previous year 9.6%). ŠKODA AUTO is continuing its NEXT LEVEL EFFICIENCY+ programme and still expects a robust return on sales for the year as a whole.

“Despite the many geopolitical and macroeconomic challenges, it’s clear that ŠKODA AUTO is crisis-proof. Our business is robust, demand for our models remains high and customers have stayed loyal to us in spite of the unavoidable waiting times. I thank them for this, and I’d also like to thank the entire team, who are demonstrating great resilience and flexibility in these times while doing everything they can to ensure our customers receive their new ŠKODA as quickly as possible. We expect the supply of semiconductors to further improve over the coming weeks and months. At the end of August, we’ll be presenting to the world our new brand identity that will reposition ŠKODA for the decade of transformation.”

ŠKODA AUTO CEO Klaus Zellmer

“The challenges we faced at the beginning of the year intensified in the second quarter. Nevertheless, ŠKODA is coping very well: Although significantly fewer vehicles were delivered to customers due to the supply bottlenecks, and prices for energy and raw materials have increased costs considerably, we were able to maintain the robust return on sales of 6.6%, in the second quarter. Through strong teamwork, we’ll continue to address the challenges, especially the global supply chain disruptions and the impact of war in Ukraine. We are therefore consistently pursuing our NEXT LEVEL EFFICIENCY+ cost and efficiency programme.”

ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Finance and IT Christian Schenk

“We can look back on an extremely challenging first half of the year. In addition to the semiconductor shortage and coronavirus pandemic, the war in Ukraine has had a particularly strong impact on us: In Russia, our second most important market, we suspended vehicle production at our Kaluga and Nizhny Novgorod plants until further notice and halted all exports to the country. In addition, a fire at one of our suppliers forced us to stop production of our best-selling OCTAVIA at certain points over the last few months. However, we have now resumed production at full capacity. We are also optimistic about the global demand for our vehicles, which remains high. We are working tirelessly to process the backlog of orders and shorten waiting times for our customers.”

ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Sales and Marketing Martin Jahn

Article source: www.skoda-storyboard.com

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