“ŠKODA CLASSIC TOUR is an awesome experience”

Once again, the first September weekend in Mladá Boleslav was a special time and place for ŠKODA employees and their classic cars, with 230 of them setting off from the ŠKODA Museum for the ŠKODA Classic Tour. Let’s get acquainted with some of them.

6. 9. 2022 Škoda World

The route even ran through one of the factories in Mladá Boleslav.

The route of this year’s ŠKODA Classic Tour even ran through one of the factories in Mladá Boleslav.

ŠKODA Classic Tour 2022

LAURIN & KLEMENT 110 from 1926

ŠKODA Classic Tour 2022

Taking it easy

“My girlfriend and I take it easy, enjoying the countryside and switching off from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. That’s why we enjoy it so much!” says Pavel Borecký, who works as a firefighter and chemical service technician for the ŠKODA Fire and Rescue Service, summing up a common attitude of the ŠKODA Classic Tour crews.

Pavel Borecký set off on the ŠKODA Classic Tour in a ŠKODA 120 L.

He drove the course in a ŠKODA 120 L from 1988. Pavel Borecký got the car from friends who had inherited it, in its original condition and with low mileage, so it didn’t need any major renovation. This year he has already taken part in the Bohemia Veteran Rally, and this is the second time he has entered the ŠKODA Classic Tour together with his girlfriend, who is navigating. “Last year we missed out on a top-three finish in one of the stages by a few seconds, but our overall 22nd place out of almost 200 participants was still pretty good,” Borecký remembers.

Pavel Borecký behind the wheel of his ŠKODA 120 L from 1988

He also hints that next year’s event may take a different form for their family team. “My girlfriend got a ŠKODA FAVORIT. It still has to undergo a few repairs over the winter, but hopefully you will see it for yourself next year,” Pavel Borecký says confidently.

From magazine to garage

“In secondary school I was once leafing through Motor Journal and there was an article about the anniversary of manufacture of the Spartak. I daydreamed about how nice it would be to own a car like that. Our foreman heard about it and said that if I really wanted one, he had one for sale,” says Marek Kubín, describing how the 1956 ŠKODA 440 “Spartak” came into his possession.

Marek Kubín showed off his “Spartak” this year.

He then spent two years restoring the car and this year he took it on the ŠKODA Classic Tour for the seventh time. He always finishes in the bottom half of the results, but that’s fine by him.

Marek Kubín’s ŠKODA 440 “Spartak” at this year’s ŠKODA Classic Tour 2022

“I’m not competing. The course is always very interesting, and I drive slowly through the beautiful scenery, taking it all in,” explains Kubín, who builds car bodies at ŠKODA AUTO and has devoted much of his free time in recent years to another historic model – a ŠKODA 430.

A FAVORIT for special occasions

Petr Mates entered the ŠKODA Classic Tour with the youngest possible car. The CNC machine tool programmer owns a 1993 ŠKODA FAVORIT. He bought the car eight years ago when he was looking for a hobby to fill his spare time. Immediately after buying it, he changed the front fenders and spruced up the car a bit.

Programmer Petr Mates and his ŠKODA FAVORIT

“To improve the car’s look I used a few accessories that were easy to install, in particular additional lights, or the aluminium wheels,” says Petr Mates. In the future he wants to embark on a major overhaul.

The ŠKODA FAVORIT was the youngest car allowed on the ŠKODA Classic Tour.

He only drives the car to meets and events, such as the nationwide FAVORIT/FORMAN rally traditionally organised by the Czech FAVORIT club. This is the fourth time Peter Mates has taken part in the ŠKODA Classic Tour. “In 2020 I finished third overall, which is my best result to date,” he remembers his bronze-medal finish.

Navigation is half of success

A precision rally is team work and the co-driver is very important for success. “You’re not only navigating the driver through the whole course and making sure that you don’t miss any check-points, but you are also responsible for guiding the driver to drive smoothly in the prescribed time,” says Veronika Ziegaus. At ŠKODA AUTO, she heads the brand’s marketing strategy and international content department and set off on the route as a passenger in a ŠKODA 120 GLS.

Although this is not her first time at the ŠKODA Classic Tour, she studies the roadbook very carefully before the start, as each year there is not only a different course, but also new tests. She has only words of praise for the whole race. “It was a breathtaking, amazing experience, and well organised, you could see that a lot of ŠKODIANS have a great relationship to the company and its history, as well as their love for the cars themselves. Our department is helping to shape the future of the ŠKODA brand, but its past is truly amazing and important from my point of view, which is why I am glad that we commemorate it in this way every year.”