Skoda 130 GL (1989) – Into the Wild

The Favorit is the last Skoda that the brand still fully developed in-house. That Favorit came in 1987 when called, slowly but surely that front-wheel drive would take over the baton of the 100 series, which was getting older. The 100 series has known several model lines: from the 100 and 110 introduced in 1969 to the mid-seventies, the 105, 120 and 125 and the 130, 135 and 136 appeared. including the Rapid – rear-wheel drive four-door sedans with the rear engine. The example that Jan Lemkes ran into the proverbial car body is a 130 from 1989.

Skoda 130

Skoda thoroughly examined the 105 and 120 in 1983. The sedans with successively a 1.046 cc and 1.174 cc four-cylinder – had the same large taillights, unlike before, and only distinguished themselves from each other with their headlights. Skoda made a series of technical updates to the 100 series and added the 130 in 1984. With the 130, Skoda hoped to remove a major flaw from the 105 and 120 – the limited engine power. In the back of the 130, Skoda screwed a to 1.289 cc drilled and further developed four-cylinder that was also the 120. The power of that eight-valve thus increased from 53 hp and 85 Nm to 63 hp and 103 Nm. Fun fact: this power source also served in the Favorit. In contrast to its less favored sister models, the 130 did not have a four-speed manual transmission, but a five-speed one. In a handful of markets, the 130 got the 136 with 1.3 with injection, but the Dutch market was not among them. The then importer De Binckhorst Auto & Motor Import focused on the Favorit in the Netherlands from 1989.

The Skoda Favorit would eventually take over from the 100 series.

Another important point that distinguished the 130 from its earlier brothers and sisters can be found under the car, namely at the suspension of the rear wheels. The pendulum axle, with the pivot point of the wheels in the center of the car, gave way to the Rapid’s rear suspension. So with carrying arms. With this, Skoda also tried to remove a strong criticism of the 100 series. The sedans were known for their fickle buttocks. After the last incarnations of the 100 series went out of production in 1990, there would be no more rear-engine Skoda until the electric Enyaq. The 130 GL was in the order books in 1989 for 13,995 guilders. For comparison: a three-door Opel Corsa 1.2 changed hands in City trim at the time from 17,500 guilders. For a five-door Corsa you quickly tapped off a small 20 mille. In terms of price, the 130 GL was comparable to the 2105 from Lada, which had to fetch about 13,000 guilders with 1.5 in 1990.

The Skoda 130 in these photos was registered in the Netherlands in early 1989 and has been with its current owner since 2020. It is a GL version that, given its condition and the sticker on the right on the back, has in any case been in the possession of a rightly proud owner since its last transfer. The 130 is a textbook example of a car that evokes sympathy with its story, appearance and perhaps even with its lack of impressive performance. A real car for the enthusiast, for the automotive connoisseur whose heart does not necessarily beat faster as the number of horsepower increases. The undersigned can only applaud this.