What’s this, a warm, romantic breeze from the other side of the Iron Curtain? Yes, indeed. Skoda’s sporty Felicia convertible was all about having fun and looking good. It was sold not only in its native Czechoslovakia, but in Western Europe, the U.K., and even in the U.S. Based on the price scribbled on the cover, this undated brochure appears to be the U.K. version.
Skoda, still in business today as part of the Volkswagen empire, is one of the world’s oldest surviving marques. It was founded as a bicycle manufacturer back in 1894 by two engineers named Laurin and Klement. Their first motorcycle came along in 1989, and their first significant car, the Type A, in 1905. The Skoda Works, an industrial conglomerate founded by Emil Skoda, took over Laurin & Klement in the 1920s. Skoda became a major manufacturer of cars in the 1930s, with models like the Favorit, the Popular and the Rapid.
Skoda returned to building the Favorit after World War II, now calling the model the 1101 for the displacement of its OHV four-cylinder engine. A people’s car, the Spartak 440 — four cylinders and 40 horsepower — came along in 1954, A 440 with a 1,201cc engine was launched as the 445, and a hotter version with twin carburetors as the 450. When Skoda replaced its model numbers with names in 1959, the 450 became the Felicia. The wraparound windshield and rakish fins prove the irresistible influence of American styling, even in countries ruled by hard-line Stalinists.
The Felicia’s 1,089-cc four-cylinder had two Jikov downdraft carburetors, and was rated at 53 horsepower at 5,000 RPM. It was equipped with a four-speed manual gearbox, and rode on a fully independent suspension, with coil springs at the front and a leaf spring and swing axles in the rear. Brakes were four-wheel drums. The Felicia was priced at $1,995 in the U.S., or $2,150 with an optional removable fiberglass roof.
The Felicia stayed in production until 1963; our references say just under 15,000 were produced. They’re certainly a rare sight here in the U.S.
from Hemmings Daily – News for the collector car enthusiast http://ift.tt/2h3BD5g
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