Exhibition of retro cars Laurin & Klement (the ancestor of the Skoda concern) in Prague

Like most well-known companies, the Skoda concern has its own long and interesting history. They were not always chic and sought-after cars with millions of fans around the world. Moreover, at first they had not four wheels, but only two. No motor and no pedals. I think you understand what I mean. And the Skoda brand did not appear on the first model of the company. After the restructuring and enlargement of the concern, cars began to be called this way only from 1925. For the past two decades, they have carried the names of their creators in their names: Laurin & Klement.


It is the history of this brand and its development for over 100 years that the retro exhibition in the Pankrac district of the Czech capital is dedicated to. Many cars have gathered in Prague that are older than most people living on earth today. Carefully preserved by their owners, the "old men" have a very good appearance. It is especially pleasant that lovers of vintage cars are trying to keep the appearance and internal stuffing of transport close to the original.


Throughout March, Prague residents and visitors will be able to admire the legends of the local automotive industry and learn a little more about one of the most popular car brands in Europe. After all, the Pope himself even rode one of them. The exhibition opened at Arkady Pankrac on 6 March and will run for three weeks. In historical makeshift pavilions, one can see not only four-wheeled vehicles, but also motorcycles that were produced by the enterprise before.

Exhibits that blow the time of a bygone era

Breathtaking cars with more than a century of history, motorcycles and bicycles, as well as racing specials from the world of motorsport will attract the attention of all visitors. All this will be complemented by a rich accompanying program. Several dozen cars and motorcycles will be presented at the exhibition. These are exhibits from the collection of vehicles of the past of the Samogil family (Zlín), complemented by specimens from the Skoda Museum in Mladá Boleslav. Among them:

✅ first model 1905 Voiturette A
✅ car of Count Kolovrat (1907)
✅ pre-war models and cars from the 50s and 60s

It is interesting what the collector himself, pan Ladislav Samogil, said:




The program also includes competitions for prizes, a racing simulator or a special era studio. The latter will take you virtually to the past when cars looked very different. Arriving at the exhibition on Saturday, March 18, you can make an unforgettable retro photo. Those who wish will be provided with a costume corresponding to the era in which the car chosen for the joint photo was created.

The 5 best participants of the competitions will be awarded with valuable prizes from the organizers. Of course, now the exhibition is only gaining momentum, and I was lucky enough to visit it on the second day of work. Let's remember some interesting facts from the history of the legendary Skoda together.

From a bicycle to the first Czech car

At the beginning of the twentieth century, modern modes of transport began to shape people's daily lives and broaden their horizons. The first planes proved their capacity, and cars took to the roads. During this pioneering period, two young people founded their own company.


Of course, everything did not immediately start with expensive cars. The start turned out to be much more modest and resulted from the production begun in 1895 ... of bicycles under the Slavia brand. Two Czechs with the same name - Vaclav - proved to be very successful and obligatory.

Their products at the beginning of the next century were considered synonymous with quality and reliability. This allowed the company to very quickly take second place in the production of two-wheeled vehicles in Bohemia (at that time there was no independent republic, but it had that name as part of Austria-Hungary).

By the way, the sense of national self-consciousness helped the two enterprising young people a lot. When the manufacturers of the German bicycle wrote to them that it was necessary to write a complaint with a complaint in German, and not in Czech, the Slavs got stuck. One of them was a good businessman and the other was a mechanic. They understood that they simply did not have the right to make a mistake. After all, the name Slavija chosen for their products carried a clear Czech connotation. Such a great incentive allowed Laurin and Klement to establish a successful production of bicycles, smoothly moving on to motorcycles.



Their international success was ensured by participation in sports competitions. The thing is that one and a half hundred copies of two-wheeled vehicles went at the beginning of the century to serve in the English Royal Mail. And in 1901, the factory racer Podsednicek became the winner of the prestigious European motorcycle race Paris - Berlin.


But everything was decided by the fact that four-wheeled carriages with a motor were gaining immense popularity at that time. The movement in this direction led to the fact that in the XNUMXth century Laurin & Klement became associated exclusively with cars. Its first models appeared in pre-revolutionary times.

The Birth of Automotive History Laurin & Klement

The company's first model was the 1905 Voiturette A. The car was a notable commercial success, which gave strength for expansion and further movement forward. The design of the crew did not differ from other contemporaries: the same body structure with a radiator located in front of the engine. The steering column had an inclined design. The two-cylinder water-cooled engine produced 7 hp. With. For that time, this was quite a tolerable power characteristic.


Two years later, the company, which was gaining momentum, turned into a joint-stock company. This made it possible to attract additional funds and expand production, increasing the staff to more than 600 people. Since 1907, the expansion of the range began. That year, Laurin & Klement introduced its first omnibus and its next passenger car.

She became Laurin & Klement BS - rear-wheel drive two-seater, which was produced from 1907 to 1909. 1399 cc engine cm and a capacity of 10 liters. With. placed in front. The car could accelerate to 60 km / h, consuming an average of 8 l / 100 km. One of these in sports performance was owned by Count Kolovrat-Krakovsky.

Since 1908, the line for the production of motorcycle equipment was closed, and four years later, the German RAF company from Reichenberg was taken over. Now the range of products has significantly expanded, added:

✅ stationary power units
✅ aircraft engines
✅ road rollers

The period of the First World War and the recovery after it noticeably knocked down the famous Czech manufacturer. Now he was in an independent republic, and his outdated products could hardly compete with more modern models from the Prague and Tatra factories. This situation led to financial problems within the company. The way out was found in the association, which resulted in the Skoda concern. On June 27, 1925, in the small town of Mlada Boleslav, a brand was born that is still familiar to car enthusiasts from around the world.


It is about this and other stories from the life and work of the most famous Czech automobile company that will be discussed at the upcoming parts of the exhibition in Arkady Pankrac. This month, the Motor Veteran community has a number of interesting events planned, which we will definitely cover in one of the following articles.