Editing Škoda Auto (section)

==History==
The [[Škoda Works]] was founded by Czech engineer [[Emil von Škoda]] in 1859 in [[Plzeň]], then in the [[Kingdom of Bohemia]] in the [[Austrian Empire]], and was originally an [[arms manufacture]]r. It was one of the largest European industrial conglomerates in the 20th century, and is the predecessor of today's Škoda Auto, [[Doosan Škoda Power]], and [[Škoda Transportation]] companies. Although Škoda is named after its founder, the word "škoda" also means "pity" or "shame" in [[Czech language|Czech]].<ref name="c858">{{cite web | title=Returning the favor?| website=dw.com | date=2011-09-23 | url=https://www.dw.com/en/skoda-vws-secret-weapon-in-emerging-markets/a-15404813 | access-date=2024-08-09}}</ref><ref name="d609">{{cite web | title=Nothing to pity: Skoda Museum triumphs Czech brand | website=Autoweek | date=2001-11-11 | url=https://www.autoweek.com/news/a2123026/nothing-pity-skoda-museum-triumphs-czech-brand/ | access-date=2024-08-09}}</ref>

===Laurin & Klement===
{{Main|Laurin & Klement}}
[[File:Laurin & Klement founders 1895.jpg|thumbnail|Founders [[Václav Klement]] (left) and [[Václav Laurin]] (1895)]]
[[File:12-01-11-autostadt-wolfsburg-by-RalfR-301.jpg|thumbnail|[[Laurin & Klement]] Type A (1905)]]

As with many long-established [[automotive industry|car manufacturers]], the company that became Škoda Auto started by manufacturing bicycles.<ref>Piotr S. Wandycz, 'The Price of Freedom: A History of East Central Europe from the Middle Ages to The Present', (London, 1992), p. 171</ref> Škoda (then Laurin & Klement) was founded in 1896 as a [[velocipede]] manufacturer.<ref name="nkp1905">{{cite web |title=Český průmyslový svět – 1905 |url= https://ndk.cz/uuid/uuid:9ee4d9f0-6a7a-11e4-9d98-005056825209 |website=Digital library of the National Library ČR}}</ref>

In {{start date and age|df=yes|1894|paren=y}}, 26-year-old [[Václav Klement]] (1868–1938), who was a bookseller in [[Mladá Boleslav]], Kingdom of Bohemia (today's Czech Republic, then part of [[Austria-Hungary]]), was unable to obtain spare parts to repair his German bicycle. Klement returned his bicycle to the manufacturers, Seidel and Naumann, with a letter, in Czech, asking them to carry out repairs, only to receive a reply, in German: "If you want us to answer you, we insist that you convey your message in a language we understand."<ref>{{Cite book|title=Škoda. A Car That Made History|last=Jetschgo|first=Johannes|publisher=Vitalis|year=2019|isbn=978-3-89919-652-8|location=Prague|pages=8–9}}</ref> Not satisfied with the reply and realizing the business potential, Klement, despite having no technical experience, decided to start a bicycle repair shop, which he and Václav Laurin opened in 1896 in Mladá Boleslav. Before going into partnership with Klement, Laurin had been an established bicycle manufacturer in the nearby town of [[Turnov]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Škoda. A Car That Made History|last=Jetschgo|first=Johannes|publisher=Vitalis|year=2019|isbn=9783899196528|location=Prague|pages=9}}</ref>

In 1898, after moving to their newly built factory, the pair bought a [[Werner Motors|Werner "Motocyclette"]].<ref group=nb>More information about the Werner motor bicycles: {{cite web |last=Twycross |first=Tony |title=Auto Cycling, 1890s Style |publisher=The Moped Archive |date=April 2005 |url= http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pattle/nacc/arc0556.htm}}</ref> Laurin & Klement's first motorcyclette, powered by an engine mounted on the handlebars driving the front wheels, proved dangerous and unreliable – an early accident on it cost Laurin a front tooth. To design a safer machine with its structure around the engine, the pair wrote to German ignition specialist [[Robert Bosch]] for advice on a different electromagnetic system.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}} Their new Slavia motorcycle made its debut in 1899, and the company became the first motorcycle factory in [[Central Europe]].<ref name="nkp1905" /> In 1900, with a company workforce of 32, Slavia exports began and 150 machines were shipped to [[London]] for the Hewtson firm. Shortly afterwards, the press credited them as makers of the first motorcycle.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.classiccar4you.com/classic-cars-gallery/?album=744&gallery=1206&pid=11691 |title= Skoda Works |publisher= classiccar4you |access-date= 22 September 2016 |archive-date= 20 December 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20191220043340/http://www.classiccar4you.com/classic-cars-gallery/?album=744&gallery=1206&pid=11691 |url-status= dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.carautoportal.com/skoda/ |title=Skoda Company History |publisher=CarAutoPortal.com |access-date=10 August 2009 |archive-date=21 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101221115013/http://www.carautoportal.com/skoda/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

By 1905, the firm was manufacturing automobiles, making it the second-oldest car manufacturer in the [[Czech lands]] after Tatra. The company, with an area of {{convert|7800|m2|ha}}, had a workforce of 320 and used 170 special machine tools, power-driven by {{convert|100|hp}} of steam power.<ref name="nkp1905"/> The first model, Voiturette A, was a success, and the company was established both within Austria-Hungary and internationally.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Skoda {{!}} Dezo's Garage|url=https://www.xr793.com/skoda|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-29}}</ref>

===Škoda===
[[File:Old Škoda Prague2.jpg|thumb|left|Škoda 422 (1929)]]
After World War I, the Laurin & Klement company began producing trucks, but in 1924, after running into problems and being affected by a fire on their premises, the company sought a new partner.

Meanwhile, ''Akciová společnost, dříve Škodovy závody'' (Limited Company, formerly the Škoda Works), an arms manufacturer and multisector concern in [[Plzeň]], which had become one of the largest industrial enterprises in Europe and the largest in [[Czechoslovakia]], sought to enlarge its nonarms-manufacturing base, so acquired Laurin & Klement in 1925. It also started manufacturing cars in cooperation with [[Hispano-Suiza]]. Most of the later production took place under Škoda's name.

{{multiple image|caption_align=center|header_align=center
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An assembly line was used for production from 1930 onwards. Also in 1930, a formal spin-off of the car became a new company, ''Akciová společnost pro automobilový průmysl'' or abbreviated ''ASAP'', happened. ASAP remained a wholly owned subsidiary of the Škoda Works, and continued to sell cars under the Škoda marque. Apart from the factory in Mladá Boleslav, it included also the firm's representation, sales offices, and services, as well as a central workshop in Prague. At the time, the car factory in Mladá Boleslav covered an area of 215,000 m<sup>2</sup> and employed 3,750 blue-collar and 500 white-collar workers.

[[File:Skoda 932 01 (1).jpg|thumb|Škoda Š 932 prototype, 1932]]

In 1932 ASAP-Škoda in Mladá Boleslav Bohemia produced a type [[Škoda 932]] prototype of a streamlined 4-seater two-door car with a rear air-cooled flat-four engine designed by Karel Hrdlička and Vsevold Korolkov. This car's bodywork closely resembled the small car designs yet to come.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Ivan |last=Margolius |title=Škoda's People's Car |magazine=The Automobile |date=June 2023 |volume=41 |issue=4 |pages=34–40}}</ref>

After a decline caused by the economic depression, Škoda introduced a new line of cars in the 1930s, which significantly differed from its previous products. A new design of chassis with [[backbone chassis|backbone tube]] and all-around independent suspension was developed under the leadership of chief engineer Vladimír Matouš and modelled on the one first introduced by [[Hans Ledwinka]] in Tatra. First used on model Škoda 420 Standard in 1933, it aimed at solving insufficient torsional stiffness of the [[Frame (vehicle)#Ladder frame|ladder frame]].<ref name="kralik"/>

The new design of chassis became the basis for models [[Škoda Popular|Popular]] (845–1,089 cc), [[Škoda Rapid (1935–47)|Rapid]] (1,165–1,766 cc), [[Škoda Favorit (1936–1941)|Favorit]] (1,802–2,091 cc), and [[Škoda Superb (1934–1949)|Superb]] (2,492–3,991 cc).<ref name="kralik">{{cite book |last=Králík |first=Jan |year=2008 |title=V soukolí okřídleného šípu |place=Prague |publisher=Grada Publishing |pages=19–22 |isbn=9788024724157 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=nqIokdzDwtoC&q=%C5%A1koda+superb&pg=PA22}}</ref> While in 1933 Škoda had a 14% share of the Czechoslovak car market and occupied third place behind [[Praga (company)|Praga]] and Tatra, the new line made it a market leader by 1936, with a 39% share in 1938.<ref name="kralik"/>

===World War II===
During the [[occupation of Czechoslovakia]] in World War II, the Škoda Works were turned into part of the ''[[Reichswerke Hermann Göring]]'' serving the Nazi German war effort by producing components for military terrain vehicles, military planes, other weapons components and cartridge cases. Vehicle output decreased from 7,052 in 1939 to 683 in 1944, of which only 35 were passenger cars. Between January and May 1945, 316 trucks were produced.<ref>{{cite book |last=Pavlínek |first=Petr |year=2008 |title=A Successful Transformation? Restructuring of the Czech Automobile Industry |series=Contributions to Economics |publisher=Physica-Verlag |doi=10.1007/978-3-7908-2040-9 |isbn=978-3-7908-2039-3}}</ref> The UK and US air forces bombed the Škoda works repeatedly between 1940 and 1945. The final massive air raid took place on 25 April 1945, and resulted in the almost complete destruction of the Škoda armament works and about 1,000 dead or injured.<ref>[http://www.398th.org/History/Veterans/History/Streitfeld/HFH_19450425_Pilsen.html HELL FROM HEAVEN – Chapter 35 – Mission 31 – Pilsen, Czechoslovakia – Our Last Combat Mission – April 25, 1945 – By Leonard Streitfeld, Bombardier, 600th Squadron]. 398th.org (25 April 1945). Retrieved on 16 July 2013.</ref>

===Post World War II===
[[File:Škoda Tudor Cabrio 938, 2013 Oldtimer Bohemia Rally 38.JPG|thumb|Škoda 1101 Tudor Roadster (1949)]]
When, by July 1945, the Mladá Boleslav factory had been reconstructed, production of Škoda's first post-World War II car, the 1101 series, began. It was essentially an updated version of the pre-World War II Škoda Popular. In the autumn of 1948, Škoda (along with all other large manufacturers) became part of the communist [[planned economy]], which meant it was separated from the parent company, Škoda Works. In spite of unfavourable political conditions and losing contact with technical development in noncommunist countries, Škoda retained a good reputation until the 1960s, producing models such as the Škoda 440 Spartak, 445 Octavia, [[Škoda Felicia (1959–64)|Felicia]], and Škoda 1000 MB.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Estrin|first1=Saul|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q7gvGLIQ9UcC&q=%C5%A0koda+440+Spartak,+445+Octavia,+Felicia+and+%C5%A0koda+1000+MB&pg=PA159|title=Foreign Direct Investment in Central Eastern Europe: Case Studies of Firms in Transition|last2=Richet|first2=Xavier|last3=Brada|first3=Josef C.|date=2000|publisher=M.E. Sharpe|isbn=978-0-7656-0255-8|language=en}}</ref>

[[File:13-04-05-Skoda Museum Mladá Boleslav by RalfR-122.jpg|thumb|Škoda Octavia Super (1960)]]
Starting in 1957, the Škoda Octavia, and later the Felicia, were imported to the United States amid a wave of new imports as some American consumers sought out cars smaller than typical Detroit offerings.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Kwanten |first=Alex |date=20 September 2022 |title=Restored 1960 Škoda Octavia testifies to Cold War culture clash |url=https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/restored-1960-skoda-octavia-testifies-to-cold-war-culture-clash/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230922020138/https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/restored-1960-skoda-octavia-testifies-to-cold-war-culture-clash/ |archive-date=22 September 2023 |access-date=6 July 2024 |website=Hagerty Media}}</ref> Škoda’s American dealerships, concentrated on the West Coast and in the Northeast, quickly encountered buyer resistance due to the Cold War political climate in ways that comparable Western European cars did not. The cars were also not well supported after sale, making even minor repairs difficult. U.S. sales peaked in 1959 but fell sharply after 1960, and many were sold at steep discounts. A few later cars, including 1000MB models, were sold in the U.S. as late as 1966-67, but in very small numbers.<ref name=":1" /> Škoda has not sold vehicles in the U.S. since then but did sell cars in Canada from 1984 to 1990.

[[File:13-04-05-Skoda Museum Mladá Boleslav by RalfR-121.jpg|thumb|Škoda MB 1000 (1966)]]
In the late 1980s, Škoda (then named ''Automobilové závody, národní podnik'' or abbreviated ''AZNP'') was still manufacturing cars that conceptually dated back to the 1960s, and in Western Europe at least - were aimed squarely at the budget end of the market. [[Rear-engine design|Rear-engined]] models such as the [[Škoda Type 742|Škoda 105/120]] (Estelle) and [[Škoda Garde/Rapid|Rapid]] sold steadily and performed well against more modern makes in races such as the [[RAC Rally]] in the 1970s and 1980s. They won their class in the RAC rally for 17 years running. They were powered by a {{cvt|130|PS|kW|0|lk=in}}, {{cvt|1289|cc|cuin|1}} engine. In spite of its dated image and becoming the subject of negative jokes – What do you call a Škoda with a sunroof? A [[Skip (container)|skip!]]–Škodas remained a common sight on the roads of the United Kingdom and Western Europe throughout the 1970s and 1980s.<ref name="Last laugh"/>

Sport versions of the Estelle and earlier models were produced, using the name "Rapid" (originally sold as the Garde in some markets). Soft-top versions were also available. The Rapid was once described as the "poor man's Porsche",<ref>{{cite web|first=Paul | last = Burrows|title=Czech-in time for Skoda|url=http://www.avhub.com.au/index.php/Features/Geare/czech-in-time-for-skoda.html|publisher=AVHub|date=13 March 2008}}</ref> and had significant sales success in the UK during the 1980s.<ref name="Last laugh">{{cite news|title=Skoda has last laugh|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/654973.stm|work=BBC News|date=24 February 2000}}</ref>

{{Quote|To drivers in the UK, the vehicles which chugged off Škoda's production line in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, embodied all that was wrong with the [[Soviet-type economic planning|planned economies]] of the Soviet satellite states. Of course, that the Škoda became such a figure of fun was in part due to its ubiquity on Britain's roads. The company must have been doing something right.|BBC report on Škoda sales in the 1980s.<ref name="Last laugh"/>}}

[[File:Favorit 1994 corp.jpg|thumb|[[Škoda Favorit]] (1987–1995)]]

In 1987, the [[Škoda Favorit|Favorit]] was introduced, and was one of a trio of compact front-wheel drive hatchbacks from the three main Eastern Bloc manufacturers around that time, the others being [[AvtoVAZ|VAZ]]'s [[Lada Samara]] and [[Zastava Automobiles|Zastava]]'s [[Yugo Sana]]. The Favorit's appearance was the work of Italian design company [[Gruppo Bertone|Bertone]]. With some motor technology licensed from western Europe, but still using the Škoda-designed 1289&nbsp;cc engine, Škoda engineers designed a car comparable to western production. The technological gap still existed, but began closing rapidly. The Favorit was very popular in Czechoslovakia and other [[Eastern Bloc]] countries. It also sold well in Western Europe, especially in the UK and Denmark due to its low price, and was regarded as solid and reliable. However, it was perceived as having poor value compared with contemporary Western European designs. The Favorit's trim levels were improved, and it continued to be sold until the introduction of the Felicia in 1994.

===Volkswagen Group subsidiary===
[[File:Skoda Felicia outside Robinson.JPG|thumb|The [[Škoda Felicia]] from 1994 was the first new model manufactured after a takeover by Volkswagen Group.]]
Until 1990, Škoda was still making its outdated range of rear-engined small family cars, although it had started production of the [[Škoda Favorit|Favorit]] front-wheel drive hatchback in 1987 as an eventual replacement.

The [[fall of communism]] with the [[Velvet Revolution]] brought great changes to Czechoslovakia, and most industries were subject to [[privatization]]. In the case of Škoda Automobile, the state authorities brought in a strong foreign partner. The tender for privatization was announced in 1990; 24 different companies were registered for the tender, while only eight of them expressed a serious interest – [[BMW]], [[General Motors|GM]], [[Renault]], [[Volvo]], [[Volkswagen Group|Volkswagen]], [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]], [[Fiat]], and [[Mercedes-Benz]]. In August 1990, VW and Renault were on the shortlist.<ref name=VN11>{{Cite book|last=Návělek|first=Vojtěch|url=https://theses.cz/id/sgu4xy/00140705-621242035.pdf|title=Acquisition of Škoda Auto Company by Volkswagen Group|year=2011|location=Olomouc}}</ref> Renault first offered to terminate Favorit production and replace it with the outdated [[Renault 18]] derivative and new [[Renault Twingo]], which would have eliminated the Škoda brand. This offer was declined and Renault prepared a new one. They offered a 60:40 [[joint venture]] (40% share of Renault), while Škoda Favorit production was to be retained and produced side by side with the [[Renault 19]], and producing engine units, gearboxes, and other components for Renault. Total investment would have been US$2.6 billion (US${{Inflation|index=US|value=2.6|start_year=1990}} billion in 2019).<ref name="VN11" />

Volkswagen offered to continue Favorit production and preserve the Škoda brand, including retention of research and development. Volkswagen offered a purchase of 30% Škoda share, gradually increasing to 70%. Volkswagen's total investment would have been US$6.6 billion (US${{Inflation|index=US|value=6.6|start_year=1990}} billion in 2019) by 2000. The government inclined on the Renault side, while the Škoda [[trade union]] preferred VW, because it offered significantly larger potential for development of the company.<ref name=VN11/>

Volkswagen was chosen by the [[Government of the Czech Republic|Czech government]] on 9 December 1990,<ref>{{Cite news|date=1991-01-23|title=VW-Skoda Deal Tests Privatization|work=The Christian Science Monitor|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1991/0123/fskoda.html|access-date=2020-07-13|issn=0882-7729}}</ref> and as a result, on 28 March 1991 a joint-venture partnership agreement with Volkswagen took place, marked by the transfer of a 30% share to the Volkswagen Group on 16 April 1991, raised later on 19 December 1994 to 60.3% and the year after, on 11 December 1995, to 70% of its shares, with the aim of making VW the largest and controlling shareholder of Škoda.<ref>{{cite web|title=ŠKODA AUTO a.s.|url=http://www.volkswagenag.com/content/vwcorp/info_center/de/talks_and_presentations/2004/10/eastern_europe_investor.-bin.acq/qual-BinaryStorageItem.Single.File/20041006_mlada_boleslav.pdf|publisher=Volkswagen Group|author=Mladá Boleslav|date=6 October 2004|access-date=6 November 2012|archive-date=27 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927194804/http://www.volkswagenag.com/content/vwcorp/info_center/de/talks_and_presentations/2004/10/eastern_europe_investor.-bin.acq/qual-BinaryStorageItem.Single.File/20041006_mlada_boleslav.pdf|url-status=dead}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927194804/http://www.volkswagenag.com/content/vwcorp/info_center/de/talks_and_presentations/2004/10/eastern_europe_investor.-bin.acq/qual-BinaryStorageItem.Single.File/20041006_mlada_boleslav.pdf |date=27 September 2013 }}</ref> On 30 May 2000, Volkswagen AG bought the remaining 30% of the company, thus making Škoda Auto a wholly owned [[subsidiary]] of the group. Backed by Volkswagen Group expertise and investments, the design–both style and engineering–has improved greatly. The 1994 model Felicia was effectively a reskin of the Favorit, but quality and equipment improvements helped, and in the Czech Republic, the car was perceived as good value for money and became popular. Sales improved across Europe,<ref name="VN11" /> including the United Kingdom, where the Felicia was one of the highest-ranking cars in customer satisfaction surveys.

[[File:Skoda Octavia Combi RS (III) – Frontansicht, 20. Juni 2014, Düsseldorf.jpg|thumb|The Octavia is the bestselling Škoda model.]]
Volkswagen AG chairman [[Ferdinand Piëch]] personally chose [[Dirk van Braeckel]] as head of design, and the subsequent Octavia and Fabia models made their way to the demanding European Union markets. They are built on common [[list of Volkswagen Group platforms|Volkswagen Group floorpans]]. The Fabia, launched at the end of 1999, formed the basis for later versions of the [[Volkswagen Polo]] and [[SEAT Ibiza]], while the Octavia, launched in 1996, has shared its floorpan with a host of cars, the most popular of which is the [[Volkswagen Golf Mk4]].

The perception of Škoda in Western Europe has completely changed since the takeover by VW,<ref>{{cite web |title=Skoda's Marketing Success Goes From Strength To Strength |url= http://www.carpages.co.uk/skoda/skoda_marketing_success_17_12_02.asp |publisher=Carpages |date=17 December 2002}}</ref> in stark comparison with the reputation of the cars throughout the 1980s described by some as "the laughing stock" of the automotive world.<ref>{{cite web |author=Kevin Massy |url=http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-9859723-48.html |title=Skoda flagship to get VW's premium nav system |publisher=CNET Reviews |date=28 January 2008 |access-date=6 February 2010 |archive-date=5 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605130546/http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-9859723-48.html |url-status=dead }} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605130546/http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-9859723-48.html |date=5 June 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Steve |last=Kealy |url=http://www.carsales.com.au/reviews/2009/small-4x4/skoda/skoda-octavia-scout-4x4-13348 |title=Skoda Octavia Scout 4x4 |publisher=Carsales.com.au |date=16 February 2010 |access-date=6 February 2010 |archive-date=26 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226113351/http://www.carsales.com.au/reviews/2009/small-4x4/skoda/skoda-octavia-scout-4x4-13348 |url-status=dead }} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226113351/http://www.carsales.com.au/reviews/2009/small-4x4/skoda/skoda-octavia-scout-4x4-13348 |date=26 February 2015 }}</ref> As technical development progressed and attractive new models were marketed, Škoda's image was initially slow to improve. In the UK, a major change was achieved with the ironic "It is a Škoda, honest" campaign, which began in 2000 when the Fabia launched. In a 2003 advertisement on British television, a new employee on the production line is fitting Škoda badges on the car bonnets. When some attractive-looking cars come along, he stands back, not fitting the badge, since they look so good they "cannot be Škodas".<ref>{{cite web |title=4. Brand Strategy |url=http://www.cim.co.uk/mediastore/Brand_eGuides/eGuide4.pdf |publisher=The Chartered Institute of Marketing |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081029202605/http://www.cim.co.uk/mediastore/Brand_eGuides/eGuide4.pdf |archive-date=29 October 2008 |pages=22–23 |date=7 April 2003 }} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081029202605/http://www.cim.co.uk/mediastore/Brand_eGuides/eGuide4.pdf |date=29 October 2008 }}</ref> This market campaign worked by confronting Škoda's image problem head-on – a tactic which marketing professionals regarded as high risk. By 2005, Škoda was selling over 30,000 cars a year in the UK, a market share over 1%. For the first time in its UK history, a waiting list developed for deliveries from Škoda. UK owners have consistently ranked the brand at or near the top of customer-satisfaction surveys since the late 1990s.

In 1991, Škoda built 172,000 units, exporting 26% of its production to 30 countries, while in 2000, it built 435,000 units, exporting 82% of its production to 72 countries.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2001-07-02|title=New flagship model will compete Skoda rebirth|url=https://europe.autonews.com/article/20010702/ANE/107020793/new-flagship-model-will-compete-skoda-rebirth|access-date=2020-07-13|website=Automotive News Europe|language=en}}</ref>

===Growth strategy===
[[File:Škoda Auto Mladá Boleslav.jpg|thumb|400px|Škoda Auto plant in [[Mladá Boleslav|Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic]]]]
One of the most important years for Škoda Auto was 2010, in terms of both products and management. On 1 September 2010, Prof. Dr. H.C. Winfried Vahland assumed responsibility for the management of the company, becoming the CEO of Škoda Auto. In the same year, Škoda set forth plans to double the company's annual sales to at least 1.5 million by 2018 (later known as the 'Growth Strategy', {{langx|cs|Růstová strategie}}).<ref>{{cite web |title=Automotive News Europe |url=http://europe.autonews.com/article/20101102/ANE/101109967/skoda-aims-to-double-car-sales-to-1.5-million |publisher=Automotive News Europe |first=Paul |last=McVeigh |date=2 November 2010 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

At the [[2010 Paris Motor Show]] in September 2010, the company unveiled the Octavia Green E Line. This e-car concept was the forerunner to the e-car test fleet that Škoda released in 2012. The final first-generation [[Škoda Octavia|Octavia]] (Tour) was produced at the Mladá Boleslav plant in November 2010. The worldwide production of this model exceeded 1.4 million units since its release in 1996. In 2010 for the first time in history, China overtook German sales to become Škoda's largest individual market.<ref>{{cite web|title=Automotive News Europe|url=http://europe.autonews.com/article/20120212/ANE/120219974/skoda-says-europes-economic-crisis-wont-stop-its-growth|publisher=Automotive News Europe|date=12 February 2012}}{{Dead link|date=February 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In 2011, Škoda Auto celebrated its 20-year partnership with the Volkswagen Group. More than 75,000 visitors attended an open-house event held in Mladá Boleslav in the April. Earlier that year, the company provided details on its 2018 Growth Strategy: for at least one new or completely revised model to be released every six months.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Prague Post|url=http://www.praguepost.cz/business/7720-automaker-unveils-its-new-logo.html|date=2 March 2011|access-date=10 April 2014|archive-date=5 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305123636/http://www.praguepost.cz/business/7720-automaker-unveils-its-new-logo.html|url-status=dead}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305123636/http://www.praguepost.cz/business/7720-automaker-unveils-its-new-logo.html |date=5 March 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Autocar|url=http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motoring/skoda-reveals-future-vision|publisher=Autocar|author=Matt Prior}}</ref> With this in mind, the company redesigned its logo and [[corporate identity|CI]], which was presented at the 2011 [[Geneva Motor Show]]. Škoda's main attraction at the event was the Vision''D'' design concept, a forerunner to the future third-generation Octavia. Škoda presented the Mission''L'' design study at the [[Frankfurt Motor Show|IAA in Frankfurt am Main]] in September, which was to become the basis of the company's forthcoming compact model the European [[Škoda Rapid (2012)|Rapid]].[[File:Skoda Octavia, TWB 2018, Friedrichshafen (OW1A0242).jpg|alt=A red 2018 Škoda Octavia|left|thumb|Škoda Auto is one of the largest car manufacturers in Central Europe. In 2018, 1,253,700 cars were sold worldwide, a record for the company.]]
In the same year, the company started production of the new [[Škoda Rapid (2011)|Rapid]] model in [[Pune|Pune, India]] (October 2011), and launched the [[Škoda Citigo]] at Volkswagen's [[Bratislava]] plant (November 2011). In 2012, Škoda introduced two new mass production models. The [[Škoda Rapid (2012)|European version of the Rapid]] premiered at the [[2012 Paris Motor Show|Paris Motor Show]]. This car was a successor to the first-generation Octavia in terms of its price bracket. The second model was the third-generation Octavia, which premiered in December 2012. In the same month, local production of the Yeti was launched at the Nizhny Novgorod GAZ factory.<ref name="Alexander Rogan">{{cite web|title=Russia Supply Chain|url=http://www.russiasupplychain.com/yeti-spotted-in-russias-regions/|publisher=Russia Supply Chain|author=Alexander Rogan|date=6 December 2012|access-date=10 April 2014|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304072534/http://www.russiasupplychain.com/yeti-spotted-in-russias-regions/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2012, Škoda, introduced an emission-free (on the street) fleet of Octavia Green E Line e-cars on Czech roads to be used by external partners. Since internal tests on the fleet in late 2011, the e-fleet had driven more than 250,000&nbsp;km. During the same year, Škoda celebrated several milestones, including 14 million Škoda cars being produced since 1905 (January),<ref>{{cite web|title=Volkswagen|url=http://www.volkswagenag.com/content/vwcorp/content/de/homepage.html|publisher=Volkswagen|date=21 November 2013|access-date=10 April 2014|archive-date=5 February 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130205210635/http://www.volkswagenag.com/content/vwcorp/content/de/homepage.html|url-status=dead}} {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130205210635/http://www.volkswagenag.com/content/vwcorp/content/de/homepage.html |date=5 February 2013 }}</ref> three million Fabias (May),<ref>{{cite web|title=FleetEurope|url=http://www.fleeteurope.com/news/fabia-3-million-rolls-production-line#.UwTEQnnGCLE/|publisher=FleetEurope|author=Tim Harrup|date=11 May 2012|access-date=10 April 2014|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304224318/http://www.fleeteurope.com/news/fabia-3-million-rolls-production-line#.UwTEQnnGCLE/|url-status=dead}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304224318/http://www.fleeteurope.com/news/fabia-3-million-rolls-production-line#.UwTEQnnGCLE/ |date=4 March 2016 }}</ref> 500,000 Superbs at the Kvasiny plant (June),<ref>{{cite web|title=Indian Autos Blog|url=http://indianautosblog.com/2013/12/skodas-kvasiny-500000th-superb-110746|author=Karthik H|date=30 December 2013}}</ref> and 5 years of Škoda operations in China.<ref name="Alexander Rogan"/>

Massive rejuvenation of the model range was a major tune for 2013 at Škoda: The Czech car maker launched the third-generation Octavia Combi and Octavia RS (both liftback and estate), as well as facelifted Superb and Superb Combi. They were accompanied by brand new members of the Rapid family as the Rapid Spaceback, the first Škoda hatchback car in the compact segment, and the Chinese version of the Rapid. The Yeti also faced significant changes. With the facelift, two design variants of Škoda's compact SUV are now available, the city-likeoriented Yeti and rugged Yeti Outdoor. Chinese customers were also given a Yeti with an extended wheelbase.
[[File:Skoda Vorstand Genf 2018.jpg|thumb|Part of the board of directors at the [[Geneva Motor Show]] with Škoda Vision X (2018): from left Christian Strube, Klaus-Dieter Schürmann, Alain Favey, Bernhard Maier, Michael Oeljeklaus, and Dieter Seemann]]

In 2015, Volkswagen admitted that it had installed pollution-cheating software in many of its cars to fool regulators that its cars met emissions standards, when in fact they polluted at much higher levels than government standards. About 1.2 million Škoda cars worldwide were fitted with this emissions-cheating device.<ref>{{Cite web|title = VW scandal: German prosecutors probe Winterkorn as Volkswagen emissions-rigging crisis spreads to 2.1 million Audi cars and Skoda models| date=28 September 2015 |url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/11895848/BREAKING-2.1-million-Audi-cars-fitted-with-VW-emissions-cheat-devices.html|access-date = 28 September 2015}}</ref> Škoda said that Volkswagen would recall and cover refitting costs for all of the cars affected by the [[Volkswagen emissions testing scandal|scandal]]. In 2015, Škoda was voted the most reliable car brand in the [[United Kingdom|UK]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.motortrader.com/motor-trader-news/automotive-news/skoda-wins-top-jd-power-honours-dependability-10-08-2015|title=Skoda wins top JD Power honours for dependability|website=www.motortrader.com|date=10 August 2015}}</ref> A corporate strategy was launched in 2015 to produce a range of all-electric cars from 2019.<ref name="Autocar March 16, 2016" />

Škoda Auto began manufacturing the large, seven-seat [[Sport utility vehicle|SUV]] [[Škoda Kodiaq]] in 2016,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/skoda/kodiaq/88859/new-skoda-kodiaq-suv-prices-specs-and-everything-you-need-to-know|title=New Skoda Kodiaq SUV: prices and specs|website=Auto Express}}</ref> it was introduced at the Paris Motor Show in October 2016,<ref>{{cite news|title=Kodiaq moment: snapshots of Skoda's 7-seat SUV|url=http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-news/motor-shows-events/paris/2016/kodiaq-moment-snapshot-of-skodas-7-seat-suv/|publisher=CAR magazine|date=29 July 2016}}</ref> and sales began at early 2017. In the second half of 2017, sales began of the new compact SUV [[Škoda Karoq]], which officially replaced the [[Škoda Yeti]]. The automaker introduced in December 2018 a new small family car, the [[Škoda Scala]]. In February 2019, the company introduced in [[Geneva]] the new [[Crossover (automobile)|subcompact crossover]] [[Škoda Kamiq]].