Most Americans may have never heard of Skoda, but in Europe and many other parts of the world, the Czech automaker is quite popular for its cars and SUVs. Now, Skoda has debuted its brand-new sedan called the Slavia. It may not seem like a big deal, but the name carries a lot of weight with it. The Slavia was credited as the world’s first motorcycle designed and built by the founders of the brand — Laurin, and Klement. While the birth of the original is quite an interesting tale, the new Slavia sedan must live up to expectations. It has big shoes to fill, after all.
Laurin And Klement Who?
In 1894, a bookseller by the name of Václav Klement in Mladá Boleslav, in Bohemia (today’s Czech Republic) found himself repeatedly frustrated with reliability and the availability of spare parts for his German-built bicycle. So he sent a staunch letter in Czech to the German manufacturer of his displeasure. However, it is reported that he received a response basically stating “If you want us to answer you, we insist that you convey your message in a language we understand.”
Thick-skinned Klement was unsatisfied with the reply and saw a business opportunity. However, he had no technical knowledge whatsoever. So he went in search of a man with the same name as himself. Václav Klement and Václav Laurin joined hands to create a company called Laurin & Klement. Laurin already being an established bicycle maker himself, the duo started a new bicycle repair shop in 1896 in Mladá Boleslav.
A few years down the road, they built their own factory and their first motorized bicycle. It featured a small engine mounted on the handlebars that drove the front wheel. Needless to say, the early design was doomed to fail, as Laurin would learn when he crashed it and lost a tooth on a test drive.
Slavia: Birth Of The Bohemian Wonder
Going back to the drawing board, the duo tirelessly redesigned their invention. They found that building the frame around the engine and mounting it lower down with a belt-driven rear wheel would improve ride-ability and be safer. After the design was refined, Laurin and Klement were ready to show the world what they had made.
The result of their hard work gave birth to the Slavia in 1899, credited as the world’s first motorcycle, which cemented them as automotive pioneers. They also built the first motorcycle factory a year later with 32 employees and started shipping to major parts of Europe.
But, Laurin and Klement didn’t want to rest on their laurels. Being true enthusiasts, they took their invention and did what any enthusiast would do with their newly built automobile. They went racing!
The Slavia Type B: The Motorsport Entry
In 1901, Laurin and Klement took a tweaked version of their product, Slavia Type B, and entered it in a three-day long-distance race from Paris to Berlin consisting of a 750-mile journey. The Slavia Type B packed a sensational 240cc engine that generated a pulsating 1.75 hp, allowing the two-wheeled death trap to reach a top speed of an astonishing 25 mph! With factory rider Narcis Podsedníek, the Slavia Type-B reached Berlin and crossed the finish line first in his class.
However, it is said that Podsedníek arrived in Berlin at 3 am when no one was expecting him. No race commissioners were on duty, the timekeeping office was closed, everyone was asleep. The following day, the organizers refused to acknowledge the local police logs of Podsedníek's arrival. They awarded a team of four Frenchmen on De Dion-Bouton tricycles as the winners, leaving Podsedníek with Laurin and Klement nothing more than a moral victory. But the effort paid dividends with international recognition for the brand. The rest is history.
2021 Resurrection Of The Slavia
Laurin and Klement graduated on to manufacturing four-wheeled cars before they sold the company to arms manufacturer, Skoda Works after the First World War. The Skoda brand lives on today as the second oldest and continuously running automobile manufacturer in the world. True to its origins, the automaker is still competing in rally-type motorsport events in Europe and Asia.
Now under the Volkswagen Group since 1991, Skoda is taking charge of the Volkswagen Group’s ventures in India. India being a tough cookie to crack, Skoda only received a lukewarm response even after a decade in the market. As a part of its new commitment, the automaker has designed two India-specific models, one being the Kushaq SUV and the new sedan called the Slavia.
The Slavia name was seen on what pioneered the now standardized motorcycle design. One that is used to this day by every motorcycle manufacturer. Some may find it hard to fathom that its historic name is being used on a sedan exclusively for the Indian market. However, the automaker is pinning its hopes on the model to become be the biggest European automaker in India, one of the biggest and growing car markets in the world.
Yes, naming a sedan after the genesis of the brand, the motorcycle, and pretty much the automobile itself is a bold move. It is no secret that hopes from the new Slavia are high. Should it be a success and bear fruit for Skoda, it would definitely live up to its name.