Skoda Celebrates Its 110th Birthday With The Voiturette A

Skoda is one of the oldest car manufacturers in the world, and today, it celebrates 110 years of automobile production in Mlada Boleslav.

October 29 of 1905 marked the unveiling of the Laurin & Klement Voiturette A – Skoda’s predecessor and the fist automobile that laid the foundation of the Czech company. Skoda has come a very long way since this “horseless carriage” was first published as a “new invention” in the 29-October edition of the Allgemeinen Automobil-Zeitung – a weekly 1900-1938 newspaper.

Naturally, like many other manufacturers at the beginning of the 20th century, founders Václav Laurin and Václav Klement tried their luck in the newly-introduced automobile business, 10 years after establishing the L&K bicycle shop, and 6 years after building their first motorcycle.

The Voiturette was named after the French word for “little cart” and it was powered by a water-cooled, two-cylinder, 1,005 cc engine, which developed only 7 hp. The top speed was around 40 km/h (25 mph) and the transmission had 4 gears (including the reverse gear). Shortly after the photos were published in the newspaper, the car went on sale, with Laurin & Klement producing 44 copies of it.

“We are proud of 110 years of car manufacturing in Mladá Boleslav. Bohemia is one of the cradles of the automobile. With expertise, courage and energy, Laurin and Klement laid the foundation for ŠKODA’s future success story. The cars made in the Czech Republic by ŠKODA enjoy an excellent reputation around the world”, says ŠKODA Board Member Bohdan Wojnar.

Mind you, although the Voiturette A was the first “car” ever produced by Skoda’s forefathers, L&K actually fiddled with the concept of an automobile beginning with 1901, when they unveiled a “quadricycle” – a vehicle on four wheels, where the passenger sat in front and slightly lower than the driver – with a steering wheel instead of handlebars.

In 1925, the company was acquired by Skoda Works – one of the largest European industrial conglomerates of the 20th century, founded by Emil Skoda – and started operating under the brand Skoda Auto. The rest, as you know, is history.