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Mladá Boleslav/Essen, 15 April, 2013 – Great feedback from the ŠKODA appearance at the 25th Techno-Classica in Essen (10th -14th April). There were two highlights of ŠKODA's motorsport history to be admired: the rare ŠKODA 200 RS racing car and the ŠKODA 130 RS. At the world's largest vintage car fair, the Czech car manufacturer also presented ŠKODA Rapid models from various eras of the brand's history.
The visitors were very enthusiastic about the ŠKODA classics which had been brought from the ŠKODA MUZEUM's collection in Mladá Boleslav. In Essen, ŠKODA presented two outstanding examples of its history in motorsports spanning almost 112 years. The ŠKODA 200 RS racing car is an absolute rarity. In total, only three vehicles of this type were ever built. The 200 RS was based on the then Coupé 110 R; under the bonnet, you will find a two-litre, four-cylinder engine with an output of 163 hp with a five-speed manual transmission providing the power transfer to the rear wheels. The vehicle weighs a mere 850 kg and can achieve a top speed of 250 km/h. It was at its first appearance in 1975 that the ŠKODA 200 RS triumphed at the Rally Šumava. Also, the car which won in its category at the Monte Carlo Rally – the ŠKODA 130 RS – drew the attention of vintage and motorsport fans.

"Our presentation in Essen was a huge success", says Eva Ticová, director of the ŠKODA MUZEUM restoration workshop. She continues, "Racing cars like the ŠKODA 200 RS are not something you see every day. And the historical Rapid vehicle gallery is an impressive display of our brand's great tradition in the lower mid-class segment".

In the 1930s and 40s, and also later in the 1980s, there were various compact-class models under the name 'ŠKODA Rapid'. At the Techno-Classica, the Czechs presented, amongst others, the oldest bearer of that name: a ŠKODA 420 Rapid from 1934, of which only 480 were ever produced. Three other gems from the ŠKODA Museum did not fail to attract the visitors' attention: The ŠKODA Rapid (Type 914) sporting elegant two-tone paintwork, a ŠKODA Rapid Sport (Type 421) from 1937 and the streamlined ŠKODA Rapid OHV (Type 922) from 1940. Only 110 examples of the Rapid OHV (the abbreviation referring to the engine's overhead valves) were ever produced between 1938 and 1941. Also seen in Essen: a ŠKODA Rapid Motorway (1939) as well as two examples of the coupé ŠKODA Rapid 135, manufactured between 1987 and 1990.

Overall, the ŠKODA appearance at the Techno-Classica showed once again the great tradition of the Czech brand. ŠKODA is one of the oldest vehicle production companies in the world. The headquarters in Mladá Boleslav has seen the production of vehicles since 1895.

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