Number of the Month: 60

The very first ŠKODA OCTAVIAs rolled off the production line in Mladá Boleslav 60 years ago. Decades later – in the 1990s – the mantle was passed on to a new version of this bestselling ŠKODA designed for the modern era.

1. 2. 2019 MODELS OCTAVIA

This anniversary makes the number 60 perfect for ŠKODA Storyboard’s latest Number of the Month, our series in which we regularly shed light on interesting facts about ŠKODA cars, expressed through a particular number. The first ŠKODA OCTAVIAs saw the light of day in January 1959. “Octavia”, meaning eighth in Latin, signified not only that this was the marque’s eighth model since the Second World War, but was also emblematic of the fact that this was the eighth ŠKODA in the evolutionary line to feature the independent suspension the manufacturer had introduced in 1933.

The first OCTAVIA’s bonnet concealed a robust 1.1-litre straight-four engine generating 29.4 kW and propelling the rear wheels via a four-speed gearbox. It had a top speed of 110 km/h and consumed 7.7 litres of petrol per 100 km. At the top end of the range, the OCTAVIA SUPER came with a larger 1.2-litre engine capable of delivering 33 kW.

September 1960 saw the launch of the OCTAVIA COMBI, an estate version with a two-piece, horizontally split tailgate, which could accommodate loads of up to 1,050 litres with the rear-seat backrests folded down.

The OCTAVIA has become synonymous with the ŠKODA brand. The modern-day OCTAVIA, a liftback with a hinged fifth door, debuted in April 1996 and attracted attention thanks to features such as its spacious luggage compartment of between 528 and 1,328 litres. This was joined two years later by an even roomier estate, the OCTAVIA COMBI, and then, in 1999, by an all-wheel drive.

The second-generation of the modern-day ŠKODA OCTAVIA, produced between 2004 and 2013, introduced enhanced utility value and a slew of innovations, such as direct fuel injection petrol engines and the DSG automatic dual-clutch transmission.