Sixty years are nothing for the Škoda Octavia, and the Czech model is blowing out the candles with gusto

It seems cars have always been around, and above all, some of the models we consider classics. In reality, the first cars are just over 100 years old, and many of the models we know today have been on the market for only a few decades. Others have been adding years and suddenly find they have passed the half-century mark. Of course, little remains of those first cars, and mechanical and technological evolution has taken hold in them.

The Škoda OCTAVIA has already turned 60 and is one of the models whose production was discontinued for several years before being reborn as a new model, offering the features of a modern, up-to-date car. It was born with this name, OCTAVIA, in 1959, as the eighth model from the Czech company after the Second World War, but also the eighth model to feature the independent suspension system the company had been using since 1933.

40 CV engine and four-speed gearbox

This first Škoda OCTAVIA had two doors and was fitted with a four-cylinder, 1.1-litre engine. This engine delivered 40 CV and had a top speed of 110 km/h. Its consumption was rated at 7.7 litres of petrol per 100 kilometres. This first generation also had a more powerful version, the OCTAVIA SUPER, whose 1.2-litre engine produced 45 CV.

Another version was the Škoda OCTAVIA TS, which was homologated to take part in road car competitions without modifications. Its engine delivered 50 CV and reached 130 km/h. The OCTAVIA TS took part in several competitions, such as the Monte Carlo Rally, where it won its class three years in a row.

The Škoda OCTAVIA COMBI arrived in 1960 and was designed to carry five people. Its boot had a capacity of 690 litres, which could be increased to 1,050 litres with the rear seats folded down. In 1964 the next generation of the OCTAVIA arrived, the 1000/1100 MB. The unitary body and the rear-mounted engine were its main features, and they earned it a success similar to the original model.

Between 1959 and 1971, when production of the OCTAVIA ended, 360,000 units were built, of which 54,000 went to estate variants. And after several years of gap, the new Škoda OCTAVIA arrived, once the brand was included under the umbrella of Volkswagen. In 1996 the new OCTAVIA was launched, which two years later was complemented by the OCTAVIA COMBI. In 1999 the all-wheel-drive version was introduced.

A reborn Škoda OCTAVIA

From this first generation of the modern incarnation, 970,000 saloons with hatchback and more than 470,000 estate cars were built. In 2004 the second generation arrived, with technological novelties and improved engines, including direct-injection petrol engines and automatic gearboxes. In total, 1.6 million saloons and 900,000 estate models of this second generation were sold.

Since 2012 the third generation of the Škoda OCTAVIA has been on sale, which received an update in 2017 and forms the backbone of the Škoda range. There are 2.5 million of this third generation worldwide and, considering that this year it turns 60, it looks set for a long run. We have to congratulate it on its anniversary!

Technical specifications of this car

HatchbackSkoda Octavia24 versions · from 35,200 €