“We would like to invite people to take a virtual tour of the ŠKODA Museum. On the ŠKODA Museum website, we’ve added new episodes to our series of guided video tours with commentary in English and Czech, following the very positive feedback from the first series. They present more exhibitions of the ŠKODA Museum in Mladá Boleslav and offer insights into the house where Ferdinand Porsche was born.”
Andrea Frydlová, Director of the ŠKODA Museum
Experts from the ŠKODA Museum provide a commentary on various exhibitions focusing on the following topics:
The TRADITION video explains the exciting background to ŠKODA AUTO’s corporate history. For example, it looks into the design of the company logo and the significance of selected models. During the virtual tour, viewers can also learn about the history of the successful ŠKODA estate models with a tradition spanning over 60 years, such as the ŠKODA OCTAVIA COMBI. The video tour presents a clear overview of the brand’s model series.
The DEPOSITORY – PROTOTYPE AND SPORT CAR COLLECTION film presents very special exhibits housed in the Czech car manufacturer’s former foundry. The ‘Ferat’ coupé, which fascinated viewers 40 years ago in the horror film ‘Ferat Vampire’ (original title ‘Upír z Feratu’), can also be seen here. The vehicle is a unique example of the ŠKODA 110 SUPER SPORT, the original version of which debuted back in 1971. The tour also provides an insight into the development of upcoming series production vehicles. For example, the ŠKODA YETI SUV, ROOMSTER MPV and SUPERB III concepts can be seen, as well as some concepts and studies that were never realised. Important ŠKODA Motorsport models from the second half of the 20th century round off the collection.
In addition to these highlights from the permanent exhibition, a separate video tour also presents the current special exhibition 120 YEARS OF ŠKODA MOTORSPORT. This can be seen at the museum until 20 March 2022 and is dedicated to the brand’s long-term involvement in motorsport, dating back to 1901. That was the first time a motorbike from Mladá Boleslav competed in an international race. Besides the machines from that time, the trophies they won are also well worth seeing.
Three video tours of the FERDINAND PORSCHE BIRTH HOUSE in Vratislavice are also new. The films present the modern concept of the exhibition, which is dedicated to the tradition of technology and industry and at the same time ignites enthusiasm for the art of engineering. The life of Ferdinand Porsche and his career as an entrepreneur is also presented in the videos. The Auto Union pre-war racing car with a sixteen-cylinder engine is on display here as a special exhibit until the end of March 2022. The vehicle is a representative of the Grand Prix category as a Formula 1 forerunner.
The first series of video tours includes the following topics:
As part of the EVOLUTION video tour, three videos offer insights into ŠKODA AUTO’s eventful history. The first video is dedicated to the first 30 years after the company Laurin & Klement was founded, followed by a second film that looks at the beginning of the ‘ŠKODA AUTO’ era in 1925 and the company’s growth up to the end of the 1980s. A third video presents the company’s dynamic development as an integral part of the Volkswagen Group since 1991.
The video tour PRECISION takes viewers behind the scenes of the museum workshop. This is where they can watch the restoration of historic vehicles, see the various stages of work and get involved in the research carried out by the ŠKODA archive.
Ever since the company was founded, ŠKODA AUTO has represented inventiveness and technical innovation. The TECHNOLOGY GALLERY in the permanent exhibition shows how the car plant has changed over time – and with it the processes in production. The video focuses on individual vehicle components, especially engines and headlights.
The video tour IN THE SPIRIT OF ELECTROMOBILITY tells the story of electric vehicle models from Laurin & Klement and ŠKODA AUTO. Examples include the ŠKODA PUCK children’s roadster from the 1940s, the ŠKODA ELTRA from 1991 and one of the ŠKODA OCTAVIA GREEN E LINE prototypes. The latest chapter of electric mobility created by ŠKODA AUTO is represented by the CITIGOe iV and the ŠKODA ENYAQ iV. In addition, visitors taking the virtual tour will learn how modern electric motors and batteries work.
About the ŠKODA Museum
The ŠKODA Museum was opened in the centre of Mladá Boleslav in 1995 to mark the company’s 100th anniversary. The original factory building was extensively rebuilt and extended to include its own workshop and a company archive. Later, the Laurin & Klement Forum was added as a multi-function hall. The ŠKODA Museum was fully refurbished in 2012.
In addition to the continuously updated permanent exhibition, the ŠKODA Museum also offers numerous temporary exhibitions and serves as a venue for educational and cultural events; more than 274,000 guests visited the museum in 2019.
The foundation stone for the ŠKODA Museum collection was laid in the second half of the 1960s. It currently houses around 340 exhibits, including Laurin & Klement’s first automobile, the VOITURETTE A, as well as concept cars and prototypes, sports cars and rally cars; the oldest exhibit is a SLAVIA bicycle from 1899.
