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Mladá Boleslav, 2 May 2014 - ŠKODA AUTO has produced the three millionth petrol 1.2 HTP. The three-cylinder engine of the EA 111 series has been running off production lines at ŠKODA's main plant in Mladá Boleslav since 2001, and is used in ŠKODA, SEAT and Volkswagen brand vehicles. In addition to the EA 111-series in the 1.2 HTP and 1.2 TSI versions, ŠKODA produces the 1.2 TSI and 1.4 TSI engines of the EA 211 series, as well as manual and automatic gearboxes in the Czech Republic. The carmaker has also produced its 500,000th MQ/SQ 100 gearbox.

"Our company has been building engines for almost 115 years. This makes ŠKODA one of the longest-established engine developers and producers in the automotive industry," says Michael Oeljeklaus, ŠKODA Board Member for Production and Logistics. "The milestones of producing three million 1.2 HTP engines and 500,000 MQ/SQ 100 gearboxes prove the power of our local production. We are going to strengthen this technological expertise in the years to come."

The 1.2 HTP engine of the EA 111 series has been produced in Mladá Boleslav since 2001. The popular three-cylinder petrol engine is used in ŠKODA's Fabia, Roomster and Rapid. The abbreviation HTP stands for 'High Torque Performance'. Even at low speeds, the engine delivers considerable power. At the same time, the engine offers high efficiency and low weight.

Besides engine construction, the focus of ŠKODA's component manufacture is in gear production. The automatic dual-clutch gearbox DQ 200 is built at the Vrchlabí plant. ŠKODA produces the manual MQ 200 and MQ/SQ 100 gearboxes at the plant in Mladá Boleslav. 500,000 of the latter had been manufactured by the end of March this year. ŠKODA has been producing the MQ/SQ 100 since mid-2011. The MQ/SQ 100 is used in the city car – the ŠKODA Citigo, amongst others.

ŠKODA plans to build on its expertise in engine and gearbox manufacture over the coming years. To this end, the manufacturer has established a new Powertrain Centre at Česana's ŠKODA Development Centre in Mladá Boleslav. The carmaker invested over 34 million euros into this project with support from the Volkswagen Group. This is currently the largest investment into development in the Czech Republic.

The foundry & forge is an important pillar of the innovative engine and transmission production at ŠKODA. The foundry & forge celebrated its 50th jubilee a few weeks ago. This area of production, founded in 1963 - shortly before the production of the ŠKODA 1000 MB was launched - is now one of the most advanced facilities of its kind, and is a Volkswagen Group 'Centre of Excellence'.

ŠKODA began constructing engines in 1899. Four years after establishing the company, which began with the production of bicycles, the founding fathers Václav Laurin und Václav Klement created their first motor-assisted bicycle – the so called Motocyclette. A combination of two single-cylinder engines with 1.25 and 1.75hp was used to power the two-wheeler.

By launching this engine, the foundations were laid for one of the longest-established automotive companies in the world. In 1905 L&K developed the company's first vehicle under the name 'Voiturette A' (French: little car). It was powered by a water-cooled, 7hp two-cylinder engine with a displacement of 1,100cc. Another early milestone came in 1908 with the development of the first eight-cylinder engine in the world. By 1924, L&K were even producing aircraft engines.

Even after the merger with the ŠKODA Works in 1925, the development of engines continued to play a major role. In the 1930s, ŠKODA also produced high-performance racing cars, among other things. After WWII, the first rear engine became a key evolutionary step in 1964. 1987 saw the return of the front-mounted engine. Joining forces with Volkswagen in 1991 became the decisive impetus for modern engine and transmission production.

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