The best pre-war Skoda models: Popular Roadster and Type 420

In the 30s of the last century, the Czechoslovak automotive industry experienced a noticeable rise. Several industrial enterprises that appeared back in the days of Austria-Hungary received something like a "second wind". This is not surprising, because before they worked like for strangers (Austrians and Hungarians), and since 1918 the situation has changed a lot for the better. Then a joint state of Czechs and Slovaks appeared, which lasted a total of 75 years.


Against the backdrop of such a national upsurge, in a small country, three automakers worked hard and developed at once: Tatra, Praga and Skoda. Moreover, the first two in the early 30s became clear leaders, offering several excellent models of passenger vehicles. The flying arrow factory was lagging behind, and this situation needed to be corrected as soon as possible.


Both the management of the enterprise and its leading engineers understood this. Several years of fruitful creative work "gave out a mountain" an excellent design from the Czechoslovak concern Skoda. Now, nine decades later, this may seem insignificant, but I will try to convince the skeptics. Even if you are not driving a modern miracle from the Czech automobile industry, you are perfectly familiar with these models.

But, if it were not for that breakthrough of the 30s, the enterprise could simply change its profile or go out of business altogether. And so, having won then in the struggle for Czechoslovak hegemony in the production of passenger cars, the company has survived and is flourishing to this day. And where are once eminent Tatra and Praga? Here's the same thing. I think now the story about the autoheroes of the 30s will seem much more interesting to you.

Popular Roadster - Skoda's most successful pre-war model

The first blow in the gut to competitors in Mladá Boleslav was prepared already in the first half of the decade. Then a car appeared that brought the company to the pinnacle of success and predetermined the vector of development of this industry in Czechoslovakia for many decades to come.



The first version in the updated concept was produced from 1933 to 1934. The car that appeared during the crisis became the best Czechoslovak model of the decade. It was produced in two versions: with a 2-door body (Tudor type) or as an open military vehicle. Its parameters are:

✅ 3-speed gearbox with 2/3 gear synchronization without differential
✅ 4-cylinder liquid-cooled four-stroke
✅ engine displacement - 995 cubic meters. cm
✅ power - 20 liters. With
✅ maximum speed - 85 km / h
✅ fuel consumption - 7l / 100 km

It was produced in this form for one year. After that, the company developed the first modification: type 418. Its main differences were a shortened chassis and a reduced engine size. So at 903 cu. centimeters, he gave out 18 "horses". Decreased by five points and the maximum speed of the car.

In the same year, the word Popular appears in the name of the car for the first time. It is used to emphasize the status of the car and is added to the already familiar Type 420. This car really reaches the peak of popularity and is produced by the company for three years (1934-1937). The power of the standard engine was increased to 22 hp. With. A differential was added to the configuration of the model. True, not as standard equipment, but for an additional fee.

Sports version Popular

The first two years of production showed not only the demand for the car. They also paid attention to the excellent speed and driving performance for that time. It was a sin not to use these data, because at all times sports success was the best advertisement and status confirmation for any car.


That is why, since 1935, the production of a limited batch of a special version of the Skoda 420 Popular Sport has begun. It was prepared for participation in the Czechoslovak race "1000 miles". In total, 20 crews were assembled. True, the race never took place, but the experience in assembling sports chassis was very useful in the future.

In the same year, the company decided to introduce another special sports version of the popular car. They decided to name it symbolically in honor of one of the most famous European car races: Popular Sport Monte Carlo. In this car, they decided not to use a standard power unit. It was not well suited for extreme conditions of use. The engine was replaced with a more powerful and larger Rapid 901. Its very name (“fast”) spoke of its advantages. This combination proved to be excellent, so the automaker began to sell it with several body types:

✅ Roadster
✅ Roadster De Luxe
✅ Coupé Sport

Its top speed has risen noticeably to 110 km/h. Of course, at the same time, fuel consumption indicators also increased - 10 l / 100 km. The demanded version was produced until the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia (1935-1938).


At the same time, the company was also working to offer a car that was simpler, cheaper and with less “appetite”. So, on the basis of the 418 variant, the Sagitta appeared in 1936. This small car prototype received a completely different power unit: an air-cooled 2-cylinder. Its volume turned out to be modest - 845 cubic meters. cm, and the speed to match - no higher than 70 km / h. The history of this experiment turned out to be quite short and lasted less than a year.

Second series with even better results

The first restyling of the model took place in March 1935. Then the automobile company from Mladá Boleslav presented a modernized Popular car with a more spacious body and rounded shapes. Manufacturers have retained the SV liter engine and a 3-speed gearbox located at the rear of the transfer case. There have also been many changes:

✅ extended wheelbase up to 2430 mm
✅ increased diameter of the connecting shaft that transmits torque
✅ power up to 22 liters. With
✅ drop down carburetor
✅ mechanical fuel pump
✅ fuel reserve increased to 26 liters

The transfer case continued to do without a differential. Drum brakes on all four wheels were still mechanically driven by steel cables. The rear wheel track was increased by 50 mm, and the larger shaft could better withstand vibrations, transferring torque from the engine to the rear of the gearbox. Initially, the automaker offered an innovative car in four body styles:

✅ two-door with a closed body
✅ two-door semi-convertible with solid door and window frames
✅ two-seat roadster with slotted doors and rounded rear
✅ van

In 4-seater cars, the luggage compartment could only be accessed from the passenger compartment, having previously folded the rear seat. Without bumpers, they had a length of 3770 mm, a width of 1360 mm and a height of 1500 mm, their curb weight was about 750 kg. On Superbalon Bata 130 x 40 tires, they accelerated to a top speed of 95 km/h and consumed 7 to 8 liters of the then-obligatory spirit-petrol mixture per 100 km.

The roadster's lightweight canvas roof could be folded into a recess behind the seats so that it did not protrude from the rear profile. Like other models, the car had a large circular speedometer in the middle of the dashboard with a scale of up to 120 km / h and a built-in total and daily odometer. The roadster became the cheapest model of the Popular series (18,5 thousand crowns).


The most expensive (20 thousand crowns) was a van with a useful weight of 300 kg. In the back wall, he had a solid door on hinges on the right side. The driver and passenger were separated from the cargo compartment by a hinged glass partition with a wooden frame.

Model export and leadership in the domestic market

In the spring of 1935, the export history of the model began. In that year, sales abroad amounted to 120 cars (half went to Spain). In addition, the geography of sales consisted of the Netherlands, Switzerland and Poland. Separate cars left for India, Turkey, South Africa and China.

A quarter of the 2,5 Popular Roadsters produced the following year were also exported. It was in 1936 that Skoda overtook Praga and came close to Tatra. There was very little left before the leading positions. Export variants began receiving electric fuel gauges, a differential, and spoked wheels. Over time, the last change reached the domestic market.


In 1937, the company became a recognized leader among car manufacturers in Czechoslovakia, exporting 35 cars of a popular model to 1227 countries around the world. During the three years of production of the second series, more than 6200 modernized Populars were produced, and the total production for 1933-1946 was 19 cars. In the post-war 542, it was replaced on the assembly line by the Skoda 1946/1101 Tudor, which was a deep modernization of its predecessor.

The important role played by the Popular Roadster both in the history of the brand and the entire Czech automotive industry was celebrated in 2021. Then the Monte Carlo modification became the winner of the Garaz.cz poll for the title of the most beautiful production car from the Czech Republic.