Cookie Consent by Free Privacy Policy website 85 years of success: ŠKODA at the Monte Carlo Rally
gennaio 25, 2021 - Skoda Racing

85 years of success: ŠKODA at the Monte Carlo Rally

Comunicato Stampa disponibile solo in lingua originale. 

Strong debut for the ŠKODA brand at the ‘Queen of Rallies’: POPULAR SPORT roadster took second place in the under 1,500 cm3 class in 1936 

› Winner of the 1.3-litre category: ŠKODA OCTAVIA won its class three times between 1961 and 1963; the FAVORIT won four times in a row from 1991 to 1994

› 2001: Fourth place overall in the #montecarlo #rally for the ŠKODA FABIA WRC driven by Armin Schwarz / Manfred Hiemer

› Making #rally history: Nowadays, many teams fight for the top rankings with the FABIA R5 evo and FABIA Rally2 evo 

› Special models: #rally success inspired the development of the ŠKODA POPULAR #montecarlo in 1936; the FABIA #montecarlo has been winning over customers since 2011  

Mladá Boleslav, 25 January 2021 – ŠKODA #auto is celebrating a special #anniversary this year: 120 years ago, the Czech car manufacturer began its successful motorsport involvement, which has included numerous victories at the famous #montecarlo #rally over this long period. Laurin & Klement vehicles were entered in the second run of the #rally classic in 1912, and in 1936 a model with the winged arrow was on the start line for the first time at the legendary competition – the POPULAR SPORT roadster finished in second place in the under-1.5-litre class. After the

Second World War, ŠKODA vehicles initially earned a name for themselves in the under-1300 cm3 class, as demonstrated by the OCTAVIA TS hat-trick between 1961 and 1963. In the 1990s, the FAVORIT 136 L continued this success story in #montecarlo with four class victories in a row, taking first place from 1991 to 1994. The four-wheel-drive FABIA has been causing a sensation on the special stages in the Maritime Alps above Monaco since the 2010s. And in 2018, the R5 model with turbo engine drove to victory in the WRC2 category at the Monte. 

The #montecarlo #rally is one of the longest established, best known and most demanding motorsport events in the world. Since 1911, it has regularly challenged drivers, co-drivers and teams in January with adverse weather and road conditions in the mountainous region above the principality. With its fixed place in the annual motorsport calendar, it is traditionally the start and also the highlight of the World #rally Championship, which was held for the first time in 1973. 

The car manufacturer from Mladá Boleslav, whose successful involvement in motorsport dates back to 1901, was represented at the second run of the #racing #event: On 21 January 1912, Count Alexander “Sascha”

Kolowrat-Krakowský set off in a Laurin & Klement vehicle and drove the long distance from Vienna to #montecarlo. At that time, Vienna was one of the ten starting points of the #event, which was then organised as a #rally. Kolwrat-Krakowský covered a distance of 1,319 kilometres in temperatures as low as -18 degrees Celsius and had to pass numerous checkpoints. In #montecarlo, the organiser awarded additional points for the elegance and comfort of the automobile as well as its technical condition. In addition, the drivers had to prove their driving skills in a dexterity test.        

Heroes of the pre-war era: ŠKODA POPULAR and RAPID

Eighty-five years ago today, on 25 January 1936, Zdeněk Pohl and Jaroslav Hausman wrote the next chapter in ŠKODA AUTO’s motorsport history at the #montecarlo #rally. The well-coordinated team would be heading to the start in a custom-built ŠKODA POPULAR SPORT. The roadster with a top speed of 110 km/h was based on the modified chassis of the POPULAR but used the more powerful 1.4-litre engine of the RAPID. Its two petrol tanks held up to 170 litres of fuel. With an average consumption of 11.3 litres per 100 kilometres, the four-cylinder engine had a range of 1,500 kilometres. The total weight was 790 kilograms, of which the opentop body accounted for 250 kilograms. With driver and passenger, the POPULAR SPORT weighed in at 960 kilograms. Braving the winter weather, Pohl and Hausman had warm clothing, an additional hot-air heating system and holders for thermos flasks at their disposal. A removable heating frame for the windscreen ensured a clear view, and the passenger seat could be folded down, allowing for some sleep during the marathon drive. 

The two Czechoslovakians decided to travel to #montecarlo from Athens – the Greek capital was just one of the possible starting points for the participants at the time. The journey was arduous: the first 850-kilometre stage from Prague to Trieste alone took the POPULAR SPORT 17 hours. After arriving in Athens, Pohl and Hausman had four more days to recover and prepare the car’s technology for the tasks ahead. They had to do so without mechanics or a professionally equipped service vehicle. Then they were off: within four days they had to drive from Athens via Thessaloniki to Belgrade, on to Budapest and Vienna and finally via Strasbourg and Avignon to Monaco. In total, Pohl and Hausmann had to cover a distance of 3,852 kilometres. Snow-covered mountain passes and snowdrifts made the journey even more difficult: wherever the Baťa tyres with off-road tread reached their limits, the pair resorted to snow shovels. 

Zdeněk Pohl and Jaroslav Hausman battled these adverse conditions just as much as their many rivals, and they performed outstandingly: of 105 registered vehicles that started at the #montecarlo #rally in 1936, only 72 finished. The ŠKODA team reached the principality’s casino without any penalty points and also successfully passed the technical inspection and dexterity test – they managed an impressive second place in the under 1.5-litre displacement class. The duo would even have had the chance to win, as the class winners from Italy had repaired their car in Budapest in a way that contravened the rules while the ŠKODA works drivers were watching. In the spirit of fair play, however, the ŠKODA delegation decided not to protest. 

Once the team had returned, it was decided in Mladá Boleslav to capitalise on this much-acclaimed success and offer the sports car in an unmodified series version. The attractively designed POPULAR #montecarlo made its debut in July 1936. A total of 70 roadsters and aerodynamic coupés of this special model had rolled off the production line by 1939. 

A year later, Pohl and Hausman returned to #montecarlo. This time, the pair brought a RAPID Coupé to the start in Palermo. The 4,134 kilometres to Monaco presented a tough challenge for man and machine: only four of the 30 vehicles that had also set off from Sicily reached the finish. With 500 points, the team from Mladá Boleslav thought they were once again in second place in the under-1500 cm3 displacement class. Ultimately, however, they only managed fourth place and 26th overall: An English competitor protested and the stewards ruled that the rear-view mirrors of the RAPID Coupé were the wrong size, so Pohl and Hausman had two penalty points deducted.


Further information in the press release to download

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