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Monte Carlo – the name honours ŠKODA’s numerous motor racing successes at the legendary rally in the Principality of Monaco. Recently, the FABIA Rally2 evo achieved its fourth victory there for ŠKODA in the past six years in the WRC2 category, and the brand’s 15^th class victory overall. Since 2011, ŠKODA has commemorated these successes with sporty lifestyle versions of various compact model series – a tradition now continued by the new ŠKODA FABIA MONTE CARLO. Debuting on 15 February, the new top-of-the-range FABIA model will be joining the Active, Ambition and Style trim levels.

ŠKODA’s MONTE CARLO DNA
Born on the racetrack, built for the road – it’s in the DNA of ŠKODA’s MONTE CARLO models: sporty lifestyle versions of various ŠKODA compact model series share this designation that the Czech car manufacturer introduced 86 years ago. To celebrate the ŠKODA POPULAR’s second place in the class up to 1,500 cm³ at the 1936 Monte Carlo Rally, the company released a limited-edition series of 70 ŠKODA POPULAR MONTE CARLO vehicles at the time. The first double victory at the Monte Carlo Rally came in 1977 with the legendary ŠKODA 130 RS in the class up to 1,300 cm³. In the 1990s, the FAVORIT and the FELICIA also achieved double victories before the ŠKODA FABIA’s outstanding rally career began. Several podium finishes were followed by the ŠKODA FABIA SUPER 2000’s class victory at the 2013 Monte Carlo Rally. Its successor, the FABIA R5 (Rally2), won the WRC2 category in Monte Carlo in 2017 and 2018. The updated ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo repeated this double success in 2021 and 2022.

The new ŠKODA FABIA MONTE CARLO is the third production version of this model series to bear the sporty designation. In 2011, ŠKODA introduced this variant for compact series models with the second-generation FABIA, before the third FABIA generation followed suit in 2014. The fourth-generation ŠKODA FABIA is the third model to join the Czech manufacturer’s portfolio of sporty MONTE CARLO lifestyle variants, alongside the ŠKODA SCALA and ŠKODA KAMIQ.

Article source: www.skoda-storyboard.com

The importance of the legendary Monte Carlo Rally and the challenges of this motorsport event are reflected in the date it is traditionally held in the WRC calendar; in January, the prestigious ‘Monte’ would attract wealthy car fans to the Principality of Monaco, even outside the summer season. Participants could opt for one of the many starting points across Europe, and the number of points awarded depended on how demanding their chosen route was. Additional points were then awarded in Monte Carlo, where the teams initially competed in various disciplines that were later abolished. These included being judged on elegance and comfort and the technical condition of the vehicles after the Riviera stretch. In addition, the drivers would have to demonstrate their skills in a manoeuvre test.

In 1912, at only the second run of the Monte Carlo Rally, a vehicle from Mladá Boleslav was also among the field of competitors. At temperatures as low as -18 degrees, Alexander ‘Count Sascha’ Kolowrat-Krakowsky set off from Vienna on the 1,319-kilometre route to the Principality on 21 January 1912. The Laurin & Klement had an open body and so instead of a racing overall, Count Kolowrat-Krakowsky wore thick fur.

The ŠKODA POPULAR Sport roadster (1936) and the ŠKODA RAPID coupé (1937)
Cars from Mladá Boleslav have borne the ŠKODA emblem since 1925, and they soon drove to their first successes at the Monte Carlo Rally; in January 1936, the duo Zdeněk Pohl/Ing. Jaroslav Hausman took an excellent second place in the up to 1,500 cm³ class with the ŠKODA POPULAR Sport roadster. This result inspired the company to expand its model range to include the ŠKODA POPULAR MONTE CARLO, which the manufacturer offered as a roadster and a coupé. Just seventy of these beautiful vehicles were built between 1936 and 1939.

One year later, now 85 years ago, Pohl and Hausman decided that they would not start the 1937 rally in Athens, which was ‘only’ 3,852 kilometres away from Monaco, as they had done the previous year. Instead, they would depart from Palermo in Sicily, 4,134 kilometres away, earning them 500 points. Only four of the original 30 vehicles survived the rigours of this demanding route. With their ŠKODA RAPID coupé, powered by a reliable SV four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 1.4 litres, they successfully passed the checkpoints. However, the duo from Mladá Boleslav ended up in fourth place overall instead of second because of two penalty points. These were deducted by the commissioners after their English rivals protested about the rear-view mirror being too small. The mirror’s outer dimensions were in line with the regulations, but the reflective surface without the frame was much smaller. Pohl and Hausman could have swapped the mirror for a larger one before the official inspection, but this would have gone against their spirit of fair play. Upon returning to Prague, the management of the car manufacturer at the time also publicly acknowledged this sportsmanship.

ŠKODA – King of the ‘Thirteen Hundreds’: OCTAVIA & 130 RS & FAVORIT
Political and economic developments after the Second World War meant that the car manufacturer was cut off from many of its traditional markets and prestigious sporting events due to the ‘Iron Curtain’. As a result, only private teams could compete in the Monte Carlo Rally from 1949 onwards, and the works team did not return to Monte Carlo until January 1956. And so, the foreign owners of ŠKODA vehicles seized the opportunity; the best results in the wintry conditions were achieved by teams from Scandinavia – their successes included a hat-trick in the up to 1,300 cm³ class with the ŠKODA OCTAVIA TOURING SPORT. At the 1961 MCR, the Finns Esko Keinänen/Rainer Eklund won and at the same time took a magnificent sixth place overall. They dominated the ‘Thirteen Hundred’ class in 1962, as well. In January 1963, the Norwegians Edward Gjolberg and Carl Karlan followed up on these successes with the OCTAVIA TS 1200.

In subsequent years, the Monte Carlo Rally became increasingly geared towards professionals with fewer and fewer private drivers taking part. In 1973, the traditional January event then became the opening race of the newly announced World Rally Championship. ŠKODA vehicles with a traditional drive concept and central tube frame were followed by models with rear-mounted engines and self-supporting bodywork. The successes of two ŠKODA 130 RS coupés stand out, in particular. In 1977, when only 43 of 198 vehicles reached the finish line at the ‘Monte’, ŠKODA dominated the up to 1,300 cm³ category; the winning duo Václav Blahna/Lubislav Hlávka were followed by their works team colleagues Milan Zapadlo and Jiří Motal in second place. In the overall standings, they finished 12th and 15th respectively.

The front-engine era: from the FAVORIT to the FABIA R5 Rally2 evo
60 years ago, the sporty derivatives of the ŠKODA OCTAVIA family model dominated the ‘Thirteen Hundreds’ at the Monte Carlo Rally, and 30 years ago, the ŠKODA FAVORIT 136 L hatchback model continued the rally successes. The four-cylinder aluminium engine above the driven front axle had a displacement of 1,289 cm³ and took the duo Pavel Sibera/Petr Gross to numerous victories in Class A (under 1,300 cm³). From 1991 to 1994, they clinched four victories in a row. The FAVORIT was an outstanding vehicle in its time, evidenced by its fourth place in the 1993 ‘Monte’ against much more powerful vehicles in the class up to 2,000 cm³ with one driven axle.

ŠKODA then introduced the FELICIA Kit Car. At the 1999 Monte Carlo Rally, a new era began with the OCTAVIA WRC entering the top category for vehicles with four-wheel drive. The works driver team Armin Schwarz/Manfred Hiemer took an excellent 4th place in the overall standings with it in 2001.

The shorter and significantly lighter FABIA WRC was homologated in 2003. The turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivered an output of 221 kW (300 hp) and a torque of 600 Nm from a two-litre displacement. A hydraulically operated handbrake assisted in cornering; it braked the rear wheels, while simultaneously disengaging the intermediate axle differential of the all-wheel drive. The ŠKODA FABIA SUPER 2000 represented a further step in its evolution in 2009 when it finished fourth in this run of the Monte Carlo Rally, which was on the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) calendar at the time. In 2010 and 2011, the SUPER 2000 finished in second place before taking victory in 2013. In January 2011, the special FABIA MONTE CARLO model was presented in Monaco – a tribute to the Monte Carlo Rally’s centennial and, at the same time, the 110th anniversary of the Mladá Boleslav-based carmaker’s involvement in motorsport.

After a series of successes in the WRC2 category, largely achieved by private teams, the new FABIA R5 opened another hugely successful chapter for the ŠKODA FABIA; the factory team took first and second place in the 2017 MCR. The following year, Jan Kopecký/Pavel Dresler won the RC2 class in addition to the WRC2 category. At the Monte Carlo Rally 2022, the Toksport WRT team, supported by ŠKODA Motorsport, has its sights set on victory; Norwegian Andereas Mikkelsen aims to defend his victory last year in the FABIA Rally2 evo alongside Torstein Eriksen (NOR).

Article source: www.skoda-storyboard.com

ŠKODA AUTO is forging ahead with the decarbonisation of its vehicle fleet. In 2021, the Czech car manufacturer delivered around 43,400 all-electric vehicles to the European Union member states, including Norway and Iceland, along with 27,600 plug-in hybrids.

Successful launch of the all-electric SUV ENYAQ iV
The all-electric SUV ENYAQ iV plays a major role in achieving the CO₂ fleet targets in the EU member states, including Norway and Iceland. The Czech car manufacturer has already delivered around 39,000 units to customers in these countries. It was the best-selling electric vehicle in the Netherlands and the Czech Republic in 2021. The ENYAQ iV also received numerous international awards, including the ‘Golden Steering Wheel 2021’. In addition, the ENYAQ iV is one of the seven finalists in the European ‘Car of the Year’ competition; the winner will be announced this month.

At least three more all-electric models by 2030
As part of its NEXT LEVEL – ŠKODA STRATEGY 2030, the company plans to launch at least three more all-electric models by 2030, all of which will be below the ENYAQ iV in terms of size and price. Depending on market developments, the goal is to increase the share of all-electric models in ŠKODA brand sales in Europe to 50 to 70 percent by 2030. The company aims to reduce its fleet emissions by more than 50 per cent compared to 2020.

Article source: www.skoda-storyboard.com

“2021 was one of the most challenging years in ŠKODA AUTO’s history. The COVID-19 pandemic and the shortage of semiconductors have significantly slowed down our growth. Thanks to the flexibility and resourcefulness of the ŠKODA team, as well as the close cooperation with our social partner KOVO and suppliers, we managed to steer the company through the year successfully and deliver a respectable result. We expect the semiconductor supply situation to gradually ease in the second half of the year. I am looking ahead with confidence; we have many new products in the pipeline, including the ENYAQ COUPÉ iV, we are experiencing very high customer demand, and we have a highly motivated team. Over the long term, the company is in an excellent position to emerge stronger from the transformation process thanks to our NEXT LEVEL – ŠKODA STRATEGY 2030.”

Thomas Schäfer, ŠKODA AUTO CEO

“The COVID-19 pandemic and the semiconductor shortage led to extended delivery times last year. I would like to express my gratitude to our customers for their trust in the ŠKODA brand and our dealers for their tremendous dedication in these challenging times. Our products are very well received worldwide, and demand continues to grow thanks to models such as the ENYAQ iV and the new FABIA. We are now picking up the pace as we enter the new year: The revised versions of our best-selling SUVs, the KODIAQ and KAROQ, as well as the new ENYAQ COUPÉ iV are great products, and I am convinced they will prove very popular with our customers.”

Martin Jahn, ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Sales and Marketing

In Western Europe, ŠKODA AUTO delivered 409,000 vehicles in 2021, a decrease of 5.9% compared to the previous year (January to December 2020: 434,500 vehicles). In December, deliveries amounted to 34,200 vehicles (December 2020: 41,700 vehicles).
In Germany, its largest single market worldwide, the carmaker recorded 136,800 deliveries last year, down 15.4% year-on-year (January to December 2020: 161,800 vehicles). In December, deliveries totalled 14,700, down 11.5% on the previous year (December 2020:16,600 vehicles).
ŠKODA AUTO achieved double-digit growth in Portugal (1,800 vehicles; +37.4%), Norway (9,800 vehicles; +36.9%), Ireland (9,100 vehicles; +21.8%), the Netherlands (19,300 vehicles; +19.0%) and Spain (24,600 vehicles; +17.0%).

In Central Europe, ŠKODA AUTO delivered a total of 164,100 vehicles from January to December 2021, 9.8% fewer than in the previous year (January to December 2020: 181,900 vehicles). In December, the brand recorded 12,200 deliveries, a decrease of 16.5% compared to the same month of 2020 (December 2020: 14,600 vehicles).
In the Czech Republic – ŠKODA AUTO’s domestic market – deliveries from January to December 2021 dropped by 4.0% to 79,900 vehicles (January to December 2020: 83,200 vehicles). In December, the carmaker delivered 6,700 vehicles in this market (December 2020: 7,100 vehicles; -5.0%).

In Eastern Europe excluding Russia, ŠKODA AUTO delivered 35,800 vehicles to customers (January to December 2020: 39,400 vehicles; -9.2%). In December, deliveries fell by 39.9% to 2,500 vehicles (December 2020: 4,200 vehicles).

In Russia, 90,400 deliveries represents a decrease of 4.4% compared to 2020 (January to December 2020: 94,600 vehicles). ŠKODA AUTO delivered 7,200 vehicles in December (December 2020: 9,700 vehicles; -25.7%).

In China, the Czech car manufacturer delivered 71,200 vehicles in 2021. This corresponds to
a 58.8% drop (January to December 2020: 173,000 vehicles). In December, ŠKODA recorded 7,500 deliveries in this region (December 2020: 16,500 vehicles; -54.6%).

In India, ŠKODA AUTO achieved significant growth in 2021 following the launch of the KUSHAQ, which was developed specifically for this market, recording a total of 22,800 vehicles deliveries in the region (January to December 2020: 10,900 vehicles; +108.9%). In December 2021, deliveries stood at 3,500 vehicles (December 2020: 1,400 vehicles; +156.2%).

The manufacturer can also report encouraging growth in the rest of the world: from January to December 2021, ŠKODA AUTO increased its vehicle deliveries by 20.6% to 85,000 units (January to December 2020: 70,500 vehicles).