„I enjoy the Škoda Classic Tour every year“

Family crews and beautiful historic cars, most of them with the winged arrow logo. That is the Škoda Classic Tour, an essential fixture of the end of summer in Mladá Boleslav.

5. 9. 2023 Škoda World

This year brought the 10^th vintage rally for Škoda employees. In 2014, the first year, 70 cars from the Škoda Museum entered the event. The year before last the number had risen to 170 and last year there were 230. This year’s turnout was another record, with around 260 cars setting off on the 130 kilometre long course.

The beauty of Škoda's vintage cars on the Classic Tour 2023

Exhibits from the Škoda Museum in Mladá Boleslav were once again in evidence, including a stunning Škoda Superb 3000 OHV from 1939. The cut-off year for eligibility is 1993, with the youngest competitors being the Favorit and Forman models. The route of the precision rally, where speed is less important than timing, took in the Škoda production plant in Mladá Boleslav.

Every year is special

Tomáš Matura, a mechatronics technician who takes care of electrical maintenance of the machines and equipment in the tool room, has taken part in all ten rallies. “We drive a Škoda 110 R from 1974, which I got from Germany in the 1990s. Besides giving the car a general overhaul, the previous owner had spared no expense in upgrading the car with tuning features such as laminates, customised mudguards, plastic bumpers, air-blast cooling and a sunroof. Before my father and I bought it and spent six months getting it back to its original shape, the car hadn’t actually moved for fifteen years,” Tomáš Matura says.

Tomas Matura and his 1974 Škoda 110 R

Alongside this Škoda 110, his garage also houses a 1960 Felicia and three vintage motorbikes: a JAWA 21, a JAWA 23 and a ČZ 150 C. “I’ve taken part in the Škoda Classic since the beginning. Although I look back fondly on the old questions and challenges part of the event – which on the other hand I can understand, because there are simply too many of us taking part these days – I appreciate the perfect organisation and I enjoy the race every year. Of course, the first year still has a special place in my heart, but the event is always a fantastic experience,” Matura adds.

One car isn’t enough

Martin Kvaizar, a constructor in the Body and Assembled Parts Development Department, is also proud of his vintage car: “We take part in a 1201 Sedan from 1957. It’s no exaggeration to call it a ministerial car – its first owner was the Ministry of the Interior. I bought it in 2007 and gave it a lot of tender loving care. We fixed the body welding and repaired the paintwork, brakes and steering; the bottom of the chassis and the frame were carefully painted. Several months’ work later, the car was fully roadworthy. Over the next few years, the entire engine, transmission and cordon shaft needed to be replaced. Routine maintenance never ends – that’s a simple fact of life.”

Martin Kvaizar with his 1201 Sedan made in 1957

Martin Kvaizar is proud of one phenomenon associated with vintage cars – enthusiasts rarely end up with just one car in the garage. “It’s the same for me. I’m currently restoring a four-door version of the 1949 1101 Tudor,” he confesses.

The Škoda constructor is a regular participant in vintage car meets with his Sedan in the vicinity of Mladá Boleslav and in the Liberec region, and he also takes part in the meet of backbone frame Škoda cars in Hradec Králové. “A few years ago, my car and I featured in the movie Child Number 44, as well as a three-part German series called Tannbach. I’m not ashamed to say that working with the filmmakers was an exciting experience,” he recalls.