The origins of what became Škoda Auto go back to the early 1890s where, like many long-established car manufacturers, a company started out manufacturing bicycles.

In the autumn of 1945, Škoda ( along with all large manufacturers ) became part of the planned economy, which meant it was separated from the parent Škoda company.

:" Of course, that the Škoda became such a figure of fun was in part due to its ubiquity on Britain's roads.

In the following years, Škoda became the fourth brand of the German group, as the Volkswagen Group raised its equity share first on December 19, 1994 to 60. 3 %, followed on December 11, 1995 to 70 % and finally taking 100 % ownership of the company on May 30, 2000.

In 1899, the ever expanding business was transformed into a joint-stock company, and before the First World War Škoda Works became the largest arms manufacturer in Austria-Hungary.

A particularly well-known 20th-century example is Jaromír Vejvoda ’ s Modřanská polka ( 1927 ), which became popular during World War II in Czechoslovakia as " Škoda lásky " (" A Waste of Love "), in Germany as the Rosamunde-Polka, and among the allied armies as the Beer Barrel Polka ( as a song, known as " Roll out the Barrel ").

In the 19th century new prosperity came: the town became an important regional centre as new schools, theatres, museums, and the Laurin & Klement ( today Škoda ) automobile factory were founded.

It was published in 1934 with lyrics Škoda lásky, kterou jsem tobě dala ... Publishing house Shapiro Bernstein acquired the rights shortly before World War II and the polka, now the " Beer Barrel Polka " with the English lyrics " Roll out the barrel ...", became the most popular song of the Allies in the West, although the original Czech lyrics have a very different meaning and do not speak about beer.

Škoda studied engineering in Prague and Karlsruhe and in 1866 became chief engineer of the machine factory of Ernst Fürst von Waldstein-Wartenberg, founded in 1859 at Pilsen.

The company was founded by Pavel Beneš, Miroslav Hajn, Jaroslav František Koch and Václav Malý in 1919 and became part of Škoda in 1928.

The inability of the standard Škoda differential to cope with the frequently slippery conditions on farms and construction sites quickly became obvious.

Exports to Australia became a matter of urgency when it became known that Motokov in Czechoslovakia ( holding group of Škoda ) planned to build a Škoda-based vehicle in Australia.

It heralded the first ever diesel-powered Škoda, and became their first car to feature major safety and convenience features.

Tiptronic is a registered trademark, owned by German sports car maker Porsche, who license it for use by other manufacturers, such as Land Rover and the Volkswagen Group ( Audi, SEAT, Škoda, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche and Volkswagen ).

# kickbacks to Volkswagen managers from bogus companies doing real estate business with Volkswagen, especially at the Czech subsidiary Škoda Auto ;

* Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley ( British ), Bugatti ( French ), Lamborghini ( Italian ), Škoda Auto ( Czech ), SEAT ( Spanish ), Porsche

In the competition for Škoda, Volkswagen was pitted against French car-maker Renault, which lost because its strategic plan did not include producing high-value models in the Czech factories: Renault proposed to manufacture the Renault Twingo city car in the Škoda factories.

Volkswagen Group's Australian arm, Volkswagen Group Australia ( VGA ), announced that they would be returning Škoda, last sold in Australia in 1983, to the Australian car market in October 2007. the Fabia, Octavia, Roomster, Superb and Yeti are available in Australia.

In 2011 Škoda sold a record number of 875, 000 cars, and it stated that it aimed to double its sales by 2018, as part of the Volkswagen Group's plan to become the largest car maker in the world.

It is planned to produce Škoda Yeti, the new Volkswagen Jetta and Škoda Octavia.

Full-cycle production of Volkswagen Jetta and Škoda Octavia will start in 2013.

A month later, Tatra CEO Ronald Adams told The Prague Post Tatra could return to producing passenger cars, saying ' we would not come back to compete with the large automobile mass producers such as Volkswagen, Škoda, Toyota etc.

Other vehicles include MG ZTs, Škoda Octavias, Škoda Superb, Vauxhall Vectras, Vauxhall Astra estates, Ford Mondeos, Volkswagen Passat Estates, Volkswagen Transporter and Volkswagen Crafter.

The Volkswagen Group is known for using three-cylinder petrol and diesel engines ; in the Audi A2, Volkswagen Polo, Volkswagen Fox, SEAT Ibiza and Škoda Fabia.

Related Volkswagen Group models include the Škoda Fabia, SEAT Ibiza and Audi A1.

Volkswagen Racing in South Africa rallied a four-wheel drive Mark IVF Polo which shared some components with its sister World Rally Championship ( WRC ) Škoda Fabia ; the S2000 has a 2. 0 L 191 kW ( 260 bhp ) engine.

With the expansion of the Volkswagen Group, Audi ( in the 1960s ), SEAT ( in the 1980s ) and Škoda ( in the 1990s ) were acquired, and the platform used for the Polo was shared with other models.

The plant currently assembles the Volkswagen Passat and Škoda Octavia.

The two León generations are, or have been built upon two differing variants of the Volkswagen Group A platform, and they also share many other components with the Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Jetta, Audi TT, Audi A3 and Škoda Octavia.

Audi India | Audi productions at Škoda Auto India Private Limited | Škoda Auto Aurangabad, ( Volkswagen Group Sales India | Volkswagen Group Factory )

The first two generations of A3 were based on the Volkswagen Group A platform, which they share with several other models such as the Audi TT, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Caddy and Volkswagen Touran as well as SEAT León, SEAT Toledo and Škoda Octavia.

The Škoda Octavia 4x4 and SEAT León 4 and SEAT Alhambra 4 also used Haldex LSC, being based on Volkswagen Group models.

The versions produced from 2001 to 2008 are based on the platform of the Volkswagen Passat, but are elongated by, and shares its major mechanicals and powertrain with the Passat, and therefore the larger resources of Škoda Auto's parent company Volkswagen Group.

The individual platforms may be utilised by one or more marques of the Group, including Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, SEAT, Škoda, Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti, or Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

On 14 June 2011, Volkswagen Group Rus and GAZ Group agreed to manufacture Volkswagen and Škoda cars at GAZ plant in Nizhny Novgorod.

The German automotive giant-Volkswagen Group also produces SKDs in the Ukraine at its Solomonovo plant, producing cars under its Škoda and Volkswagen Passenger Cars marques.

It was last model on Škoda's own platform, but was one of the first models to benefit from Škoda Auto's takeover by the German giant Volkswagen Group.

Before that was the rear-engined Škoda's from Škoda 1000MB ( produced from 1964 ) to Škoda 130 / 135 / 136 ( produced until 1990 ) or the Polski Fiat 126p ( produced until October 2000 ).

Released in 1996 to complement the Typ 9K Caddy range, the rebadged Škoda Felicia Utility was the entry level light commercial vehicle for the VWCV range.

Škoda owners in the UK have consistently ranked the brand at or near the top of the J. D.

In 2006 Škoda presented its brand new model Roomster, a small MPV with a unique design, which reflects future trends.

The current successor Škoda Holding is focused on transport vehicle manufacturing ; some companies no longer connected with it use the brand Škoda in other industries.

The company's locally manufactured and imported vehicles are sold under various brand names such as Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, Škoda, Bentley, and Lamborghini in China.

In 1925 the company was acquired by the Škoda Works, and operated henceforth under the brand Škoda Auto ( Škoda ).

In 2006, the power transmission and distribution sectors of Ganz Transelektro were acquired by Crompton Greaves, but still doing business under the Ganz brand name, while the unit dealing with electric traction ( propulsion and control systems for electric vehicles ) was acquired by Škoda Holding and is now a part of Škoda Electric.

It shows several examples of cars produced under the Škoda brand and small models of all types ever produced in Škoda's history.

Škoda is a Czech surname and brand name.

A long-wheelbase derivative of this platform-originally designed for the Chinese market and being used in the 1999 Volkswagen Passat Lingyu, but ultimately being used for its rebadged version under the Škoda brand, the 2002 Škoda Superb-is referred to as PL45 +.