In 1895, Mr. Laurin and Mr. Klement found a factory for production of the Slavia bicycle. In 1905 the first car from the Laurin & Klement company is introduced. It is a small two-seat vehicle with 7 horsepower called the Voiturette A.
The manufacture of automobiles grows quickly. In 1907 the small factory becomes a joint-stock company. Thanks to good business connections, cars from Mladá Boleslav make their way, among other countries, to New Zealand, Russia, England and Japan.
Car manufacturing is strongly affected by the World War I. The production of personal vehicles is almost stopped, and instead military vehicles are being made. In 1924 the factory was partially destroyed by a large fire, which led to the company merger with the engineering giant from Plzeň, Škoda.
After the company merger, the factory is enlarged and equipped with modern line production. In 1930 the factory is struggling with the world-wide economic crisis and introduces to production a car with an entirely new concept - the Škoda 418 Popular becomes the basis for individual product lines.
In 1936 the car company is in first place among domestic automobile manufacturers and positive reactions are coming from other countries. With the coming of the World War II and occupation, production focuses on the needs of Germany. The factory is bombed near the end of the war.
After the war, Czechoslovakian economic activities are affected by the nationalization process. Factories in Kvasiny and Vrchlabi become a part of the company. The socialist era begins, which completely changes the direction of the Czechoslovakian automobile industry.
The 1950s belong to the Škoda Felicia, for which the demand was much higher than the production capacity. At the beginning of the 1960s, the factory undergoes an extensive modernization, and in 1964 the production line rolls out the all new Škoda 1000 MB.
Production of the leading model, the Škoda 1000 MB, and its derivatives, continues in full swing. This is the first model in the history of the company with more than one million pieces produced.
Production of the Škoda 110 R sport coupé is stopped in Kvasiny in 1980, and the next year production of the Škoda Garde begins, which is later renamed to Škoda Rapid. Once again, the company is making a sporty two-door coupé.
In 1987, the long-awaited and all-new model, the Škoda Favorit, goes to production. In March, 1991 the company begins a partnership with Volkswagen. Even the company name is new - Škoda, joint-stock automotive company.
In April, 1996, the all-new model, the Škoda Octavia is introduced. Three years later comes the Škoda Fabia, and in 2001 a new luxury limousine in the upper-middle class is introduced, the Škoda Superb. Production facilities are built in Russia, China and India.
The presentation of the Citigoᵉ iV and the Superb iV sees Škoda enter the era of electromobility in 2019. Škoda gives its family of electrified cars an emotive design, a futuristic interior and innovative technologies, as well as a special ecosystem for mobility solutions.
