Laurin & Klement / Škoda 120 Years of Success
Petrol rush and first competition triumphs
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- From the ‚Laurinka‘ to the Fabia R5
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Success with motorcycles (1899—1910) After bicycle production, motorcycles became the main pillar of Laurin & Klement for several years. En- couraged by the success of the early years following foundation, L&K presented a further result of their development work in 1899: a bicycle with an auxiliary motor, the so-called Motocyclette. The technology set standards: the motor was mounted in the lower frame area, there was an electro-magnetic ignition and the control elements were positioned in a user-friendly fashion on the handlebars. The L&K motorcycles, with their innovative technology, also won acclaim on the German and British markets: the very first order was a high volume of 150 units. At its exhibition premiere in Frankfurt and at presentations in Prague, Vienna and Hamburg it won first prizes and gold medals. Shortly after the start of production of their first mo- torised vehicle, Laurin and Klement made a decision to get involved in motorsports — a smart and brave step. The young driver Narcis Podsedníček completed the Paris-Berlin race in June 1901 — a distance of 1,200 kilometres. He reached the finishing line unex- pectedly early, turning up before the timekeeper. As his finish was not properly documented, it was only enough to count as a moral victory. The L&K motorcycles proved their class at other races. In 1903, L&K took part in 34 motorcycle races and won 32 of them. Then, in the summer of 1905, came a real sensation: factory racing driver Václav Vondřich won what was at the time the most demanding motor- cycle race in the world, the unofficial world champi- onship, ‘Coupe International’ in Dourdan, France. The L&K two-cylinder racing motorbike with a capacity of 700 cm 3
the average speed was a fantastic 80.971 km/h. As a comparison, in the car race on the same course, the winner was only able to reach 72.400 km/h with an engine that was 15 times more powerful. The L&K touring motorcycles had an excellent reputa- tion at the time and many customers considered them to be motorcycles of ‘the best brand in the world’. Air- cooled and the first water-cooled L&K motorcycles were available. From 1904 to 1909, the type CCCC fourcylinder in-line engine inspired many as one of the first engines of its kind. L&K motorcycles with side- cars were also successful; the passenger sat either beside or behind the driver. A variant for commercial use was also available. It featured closed storage space and the Mexican postal service was one of the customers to use it. 14 15 540 units of the 1902 L&K ‘Motocyclette Type B’ one-cylinder motorcycle were sold. Rapid development from 1895 to 1905: from bicycle to motorcycle to automobile. The trust in the top reliability of the products from Mladá Boleslav was underlined by several orders from the army. The wide range of popular L&K tricycles was ideal, most of all for the transportation of people and goods. The motorcycles also served to propel agricultural machines! The tandem adjustment of the seats shows the cycling tradition of the brand. The fastest motorcycle in the world: Václav Vondřich, winner of the unofficial motorcycle world championship in Dourdan (1905).
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ŠKODA motorsports — terrific speed for more than 100 years Over the following years, the manufacturer from Mladá Boleslav shaped the international motorcycle racing scene. L&K motorcycles were amongst the most successful racing bikes of the early 20 th cen-
tury and won countless races. In 1905, L&K factory driver Václav Vondřich won the renowned ‘Coupe International’ in Dourdan, France with an L&K motor- cycle. This victory at the unofficial motorcycle world championship marked the end of L&K’s involvement in motorcycle racing. In the 1930s, the company — now under the name ŠKODA — made a return to motorsports. The ŠKODA Popular gave a powerful boost in 1934 as the first ŠKODA with a modern central tube frame. In 1936, Zdeněk Pohl and Jaroslav Hausman finished in an excellent second place in their capacity class with a two-seater ŠKODA Popular Sport at the Monte Carlo rally. Encouraged by this success, ŠKODA sub- sequently presented the particularly sporty ŠKODA Popular Sport Monte Carlo special models. In 1935, two six-cylinder racing cars — the special Rapid Six cars — took part in the ‘Czechoslovakia 1,000 miles’. After the Second World War, ŠKODA continued its motorsports activities. A compact racing sports car based on the ŠKODA 1101 showed what it was made of on the Spa circuit, as well as at the Monte Carlo rally, the Tour d’Europe and the Race for Peace and Friendship. The new ŠKODA Octavia, presented in 1959, achieved notable successes in the 1.3 litre tour- ing car class. A new chapter began in the 1960s with the ŠKODA 1000 MB. The first ŠKODA with a rear en- gine in a series production signalled a technological leap forward, from which the motorsports activities also benefited in the following years. Rising from the ŠKODA 110 R sport coupé, in 1975, the legendary ŠKODA 130 RS became one of the most successful rally cars of its time. The victory at the 1981 Touring Car European Championship and the double victory at the Monte Carlo rally in the up to 1.3 litre category are just a couple of examples of its successes. With the arrival of Volkswagen Group in 1991, the topic of motorsports was given a new lease of life in Mladá Boleslav. The factory team driving the ŠKODA Favorit won the 1994 FIA World Championship in the two-litre category. The ŠKODA Octavia WRC, introduced by the company in 1999, entered the elite class of interna- tional races — the WRC world championships. The model was replaced by the ŠKODA Fabia WRC in 2003. The ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000 is responsible for remarkable success in the Super 2000 rally class. The Fabia Super 2000 is associated with the, as yet, most successful chapter in the history of ŠKODA motorsports. Between 2009 and 2014 the compact power pack stole the show with countless triumphs on international race courses. Between 2010 and 2012, ŠKODA teams won the manu facturer and driver titles in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) three times in a row with the Fabia Super 2000, making ŠKODA the most success- ful brand in the history of the IRC. Another success came in 2001 with the victory in the Super 2000 World Rally Championship (SWRC). Other hat tricks followed in the European Rally Championship (ERC) and Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) series between 2012 and 2014. Between 2009 and 2014, the factory and customer ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000 won almost 50 national and international titles. In the 2015 season, ŠKODA is starting in the new R5 rally category, successor to the previous Super 2000 class. From 2015, the rally car is the new ŠKODA Fabia R5, which is equipped with a 1.6 litre turbo engine, in accordance with FIA regulations. ŠKODA has been active in international motorsports since 1901. Countless victories at races and race se- ries around the world underline the technological expertise of the company. From the debut of the rac- ing driver Narcis Podsedníček, who took part in the Paris–Berlin race for the first time in 1901 with an L&K motorcycle, to top finishes at the Monte Carlo rally, to the latest rally sport triumphs of the ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000 — the motorsports history of the brand is rich in success. The founding fathers Laurin and Klement fired the starting shot for the impressive motorsports tradition of the company in 1901. Just two years after the pre- sentation of the first motorised L&K bicycle, the young factory driver Narcis Podsedníček took part in the Paris–Berlin long-distance race on an L&K one-cylinder motorcycle. He was the first to get to the finish, but was disqualified due to a lack of official timing. None- theless, the participation in this race is considered the foundation of ŠKODA’s involvement in motorsports. Yüklə 220,63 Kb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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