This week it is 30 years ago that Skoda was incorporated into the Volkswagen Group. A good moment to reflect on what has happened to the Czech brand since 1991.
Anyone who thought of Skoda 30 years ago undoubtedly thought ‘cheap Eastern block cars’. At that time the brand was a brand in financial trouble, with mostly outdated products and a not too great image. In 1989, Czechoslovakia emerged from the yoke of the communist regime and the door to the west opened wide. Volkswagen had been no stranger to Skoda for years, after all, from the late 1970s onwards, there was talk about collaborations and from the mid-1980s Volkswagen was already involved in the development of the Skoda that eventually came on the market as Favorit. Among other things, it tested a prototype of that car with a VW engine, but in the end it wouldn’t get any further than that.
However, it was the prelude to more, because after the Velvet Revolution of 1989 it was a logical step for Volkswagen to further tighten the tires. It came to a first concrete discussion in 1990, when the then Czech government wanted to privatize Skoda by offering it part of it to a major western car manufacturer. In the end it went between Renault and Volkswagen and the second turned out to be the winning bid. On March 28, 1991, now roughly 30 years ago, it was agreed that 30 percent of Skoda was in the hands of the Volkswagen Group.
Signatures are placed – March 28, 1991
Growing influence
In the years that followed, Volkswagen further expanded its share in Skoda, and finally proceeded to take over the brand completely in 2000. The influence of the Germans had already become clearly visible. The Favorit was the last Skoda from the old era and it was succeeded by still partly ‘old Skoda’ Felicia. It elaborated on the Favorit for an important part, but was also available with Volkswagen engines. With the Octavia launched in 1996 and the first Fabia from 1999, things went a step further: after all, they already shared their technical basis with models from the Volkswagen Group.
At the beginning of this century, Skoda worked hard to improve its image under the management of the Volkswagen Group. Although Skoda irreverently remained the budget brand of the group, that should not be very obvious anymore. The designs of the Skodas were made more attractive, the interior was not too inferior to that of the Volkswagen counterparts and a distinctive element was also added: space. With the introduction of the first Superb, Skoda even took a more luxurious street.
Good luck
Both Skoda and the Volkswagen Group did not do any harm. In the Netherlands we remained a bit wary until the turn of the century – given the sales figures – but in the first decade of this century the sales figures skyrocketed. In the past ten years, things went a long way, with 2011 as the absolute top year. At the time, Skoda sold 20,746 cars here. The Octavia is by far the most popular, of which more than 100,000 got a Dutch registration. The Fabia is in second place with more than 85,000 units, followed by the Superb, with 23,281 units sold. Skoda is currently working on the road with the brand-new Octavia and the fully electric Enyaq, and the brand-new Fabia will soon be released.