Škoda’s race and rally cars: the full works

By Simon Hucknall

| 9 Sep 2024

Classic & Sports Car – Škoda’s race and rally cars: the full works

‘You could be on a winner too,’ read the 1985 Škoda GB advert for the Estelle 130 L.

It was no cheesy strapline: for £2000, your Škoda Competition Specialist Dealer could transform a cooking 130 into a Group A stage star.

I wasn’t a ‘rallyist’ at the time, but this simple piece of marketing – amid a raft of other Škoda promotions championing its competition heritage – heralded my introduction to motorsport nearly four decades ago.

Škoda let its competition cars speak for themselves in the 1980s and ’90s

I went down the hillclimb and sprint path for the next 10 years with a modified, slick-shod Estelle, but Škoda’s underdog appeal – and the 130’s simplicity and durability – converted me.

Whether Škoda’s GB importer managed to change other purchasers’ perceptions of its oft-mocked brand is anyone’s guess.

But what it achieved in motorsport 25 or so years before being subsumed into the Volkswagen empire was remarkable.

Škoda’s strapline on the 120 Rapid Coupé racer

Rallying highlights included the 130 RS – aka ‘Porsche of the East’ – taking a one-two class win on the 1977 Rallye Monte-Carlo; in 1981, after the 120 was launched (becoming part of the Super Estelle range in the UK), it won its class in that year’s RAC Rally, one of 17 successive titles it took from the same event.

The 1985 130 LR – best known in the masterful hands of John Haugland – badgered T16s and quattros in Group B, actually beating them overall in the ’86 Günaydin International Rally.

And, when Škoda switched from the rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive Estelle to the front-engined, front-drive Favorit, the roll-call of triumphs continued, including winning the World Rally Championship outright for a single-driven-axle car in 1994.

This 1983 Škoda 120 Rapid Coupé had been stored for 36 years

But the 130 RS had also conquered on the circuits, taking overall honours in the 1981 European Touring Car Championship after winning six out of eight rounds.

When the range-topping 120 Rapid Coupé joined the ranks in 1982, Škoda GB sought to capitalise on privateer success with Škoda-bodied special saloons by embarking on a production saloon campaign with the new model.

At a time when other budget brands, such as Lada, FSO, Zastava and Hyundai, thrived solely on being cheap, Škoda – despite being perhaps the most lambasted of all – was improving its showroom wares through the lens of motorsport.

Fresh from restoration, the Škoda Estelle Rallye 130 LR relives its RAC Rally glory days on the Silverstone Rally School’s forest stage loop

Few cars illustrate that giant-killing period better than the trio we have here today.

In the stage-rally corner sit two original works cars, encompassing the glory days of the Škoda’s class dominance in the 1980s and ’90s.

C155 BYR is one of five Group A Estelle Rallyes imported by Škoda GB in 1985, making its debut in that year’s RAC Rally; L910 ORP (initially registered MBH-82-07), is one of four Favorits built by Škoda specifically for 1993’s Rally GB, when it competed in Class N1.

Representing Škoda’s circuit-based ambitions, we have the very 120 Rapid Coupé that spearheaded the aforementioned production saloon campaign, hardly altered since it last took the chequered flag at Donington Park in 1986.

This Škoda Estelle Rallye’s Group B spec gives it 130bhp

With Silverstone Rally School’s forest stage before us, the two rally Škodas have already had an early baptism by mud – their compact dimensions suit the rutted and technical course to a tee.

John Melling has owned BYR, the Estelle Rallye, for nine years, and given the immaculate state in which it arrived, fresh from a five-year restoration, it had seemed sacrilegious to take it on a rally course.

Originally ordered for competition and carrying homologation number A-5252 for Group A entry, the car was loaned by Škoda GB to Car & Car Conversions magazine’s Philip Young to convert to 130 L/Group A5 spec.

The Škoda Estelle’s cabin in 1980s rally form

The work was serialised, and an increase in power from 62bhp to 96bhp gave sub-8 secs 0-60mph acceleration and a top speed of around 110mph before Young and co-driver Derek Pickup entered the RAC Rally in November ’85.

It was a bumper event for Škoda, with Haugland’s Group B 130 LR winning the under-1300cc class and a works 130 L taking Class A honours.

Alas, Young and Pickup in ‘our’ car suffered a failed clutch on Special Stage 32, resulting in a DNF.

After the RAC, Škoda GB started to upgrade BYR to LR, or Group B, spec (although the class was banished in 1986).

The Škoda Estelle Rallye 130 LR has a full rollcage

That meant retaining the same 1289cc block, but with the addition of an eight-port head and Cosworth valves, a steel-billet camshaft, twin Dell’Orto DHLA40 carbs and raised compression, all for 130bhp at 7500rpm – a near 40% increase.

An aluminium casing for the five-speed gearbox helped save weight, and therefore some of the 130’s waywardness from the longitudinal, rear-mounted drivetrain.

Sachs dampers were introduced, allowing higher straight-line speeds over forest tracks.

BYR’s bonnet, engine cover and doors were swapped for aluminium items, and the side and rear windows were now Perspex rather than glass.

The Škoda Estelle Rallye 130 LR is composed and has great traction

The car competed in the Škoda Challenge Series for three years, and in more recent times has appeared at Goodwood Festival of Speed’s rally stage (where it set a 2 mins 57 secs time), the Silverstone Classic (now Silverstone Festival), Wales Rally GB and even Top Gear Live.

There are vestiges of the original Estelle dashboard inside BYR, but the rest is pure rally car.

Checkerplate lines the floor, and as you slide beneath the rollcage and into the deeply bolstered driver’s seat, you note the hydraulic handbrake to your left and plethora of switches for fans, spotlights and fuel pumps, as well as a Brantz 2S Pro tripmeter on the co-driver’s side.

This Škoda Estelle rally car made its debut in the 1985 RAC Rally

Fuel pump primed, flick down the ignition and press the starter, and a cacophony of induction and exhaust noise erupts.

Despite the small steering wheel, attached to a rack with 2.8 turns from lock to lock, the manual set-up requires only moderate effort at low speeds.

You need plenty of revs to percolate around our test stage at a reasonable lick, such is the lumpiness of the cam and the Dell’Ortos’ thirst for petrol.

But it’s thrilling, once you tune in to the little Škoda’s mood.

The Škoda Favorit 136 L Group N car is fast and grippy when the going gets rough

Forget tales of lurid oversteer – even the 130 road car ditched the lesser models’ swing-axles for 911-style semi-trailing arms to quell that.

Instead, BYR is utterly composed, with more of a tendency to understeer.

It turns out that the handbrake’s current pad compound is too hard, and as a result unable to neutralise understeer on tighter turns, but otherwise this 130 LR feels bulletproof.

Traction is exceptional, with its engine weighing down the LSD-equipped rear wheels.

This Škoda Favorit 136 L currently runs a 145bhp VW 1.6-litre engine, but the owner has the original unit

Only mechanical sympathy stops you from hammering down the rally school’s rutted back straight at more than eight-tenths (though owner John assures me I’m being too kind).

Despite the new Favorit’s radical change of engineering philosophy, there was clearly no let-up in Škoda’s mission to maintain WRC class honours.

By the last round of the 1993 season – the UK’s Network Q Rally – Škoda was running second to Vauxhall in the new Formula Two category and had amassed 19 out of 20 class wins at the event from previous years.

Škoda entered three Favorits – two in Group A, one in Group N – with Škoda GB entering another Group A car.

The Škoda Favorit 136 L’s packed boot

‘Our’ car was the sole N1 entry (in effect road-spec, with a blueprinted engine, heavy-duty clutch and minimal modifications), crewed by Vladimir Berger and Martin Hruška.

In what turned out to be one of the coldest years for the event, MBH-82-07 (its previous Czech number) was no match for the all-wheel-drive Subaru Vivio in the same class, and, despite a change to snow tyres, finished second.

It was to be Škoda’s last works entry in Group N.

But, like our Estelle, this Favorit was only at the start of its competition life.

Vladimir Berger and Martin Hruška came second in 1993’s Rally GB

Re-registered L910 ORP, it was campaigned by Stephen Wedgbury in the ’94 British Open International Championship and later (registered A13 FAV) passed to Carl Stevens, who won Group N1 in 1997’s British Rally Championship.

Further use included one or more entries at the Lombard Revival in the early 2000s, before the original 1.3-litre engine gave up the ghost.

After being laid up for 10 years, the car was bought by current owner Simon Daly, reclaimed its earlier UK number and – for now – has installed a VW-based 1.6 ‘AEE’ engine of the type used in Škoda’s mid-’90s works Felicia Kit Cars.

The Škoda Favorit 136 L Group N car, caked in mud from the Silverstone Rally School’s forest stage

The plan in time is to restore ORP to its original 1993 Group N spec, but in its current hybrid form it demonstrates how capable the Favorit was, even when deploying twice its original output (now 145bhp) via the front wheels.

Other than a full rollcage, fitted Terratrip and various auxiliary controls, ORP’s cabin retains much of the standard Favorit’s architecture, as you’d expect with a Group N car.

From the off, though, the non-standard transmission demands your attention.

Not only is the Favorit hilariously quick, with only around 800kg to shift, but front-end grip is also tenacious, the Gripper LSD seemingly defying physics to allow the driven wheels (shod with forest tyres) to turn in cleanly, even on the course’s slipperiest corners – although torquesteer on exits makes for quite a physical drive.

The Škoda Favorit 136 L’s front LSD turns in hard

The straight-cut ratios are low and the engine is more tractable than the Estelle’s, accompanied by a wonderful soundtrack.

Not entirely faithful to how this Favorit was back in the day, admittedly, but an indicator of why the model also excelled in less restrictive classes.

Windscreens cleaned and the worst of the mud washed off, our rally cars join Simon Dickinson’s 1983 120 Rapid Coupé on the roads skirting another, somewhat cleaner, Silverstone track.

This would have been the Rapid’s natural stomping ground 40 or so years ago – although Škoda GB’s production-car campaign didn’t actually extend to Silverstone, and, as Simon quips, this is the furthest south the car has been in its rather sheltered life.

The Škoda Favorit Group N retains more dashboard than the stripped-out Estelle

Circuit racing was very much a toe-in-the-water exercise for Škoda GB in the early ’80s, but it had the potential to uphold the company’s promise of strong, reliable road cars.

The new 120 Rapid Coupé, launched at the NEC Motor Show in 1982, was seen as the competition flag-bearer for circuit work, not only because of its more rakish two-door styling, but also thanks to a change to more stable, semi-trailing-arm rear suspension and rack-and-pinion steering, versus its saloon siblings.

However, targeting Class E (up to 1300cc) in Production Saloons meant retention of its standard, 57bhp, 1174cc engine.

The only mods allowed were a minimal reduction to ride height and fitment of a long-range fuel tank in the nose (which, according to Simon, improved front-end grip).

The Škoda Rapid saloon racer is agile and thrives on revs

Tony Dickinson, Simon’s late father, had worked with Škoda GB since the ’70s, racing a silhouette Coupé in Special Saloons with a Hart 420R F2 engine, so he was the natural driver choice to front the importer’s circuit-racing hopes.

On 4-5 June 1983, Tony, along with Tim Read, Andy Woolley and Škoda’s Bill Hunt, drove the Rapid in its inaugural race, the Willhire 24 Hour at Snetterton.

Other than a temporary loss of fourth gear, quickly fixed, the car was faultless, not even requiring brake or tyre changes and consuming just one pint of oil.

“The car ran like a dream…,” Tony told Motoring News after the team had taken a class win at an average speed of 63.05mph.

This Škoda 120 Rapid Coupé has ditched its 1174cc unit for a 1289cc 136 lump

The same crew was back for the following year’s event, but, while the Rapid proved equally reliable, it only managed to finish third in class.

Temporarily laid up in 1985, the Škoda was pressed into competition service for one final time at Donington Park’s 4 Hour Production Saloon event in 1986, in which Tony shared the Rapid with Joe Ward.

After 92 laps, the pair finished first in class at an average speed of 57.11mph.

That marked the end of Škoda GB’s circuit-racing aspirations.

This Škoda 120 Rapid Coupé belongs to Simon Dickinson, whose late father, Tony, raced it in period

With so much investment in rallying, it was perhaps inevitable and, as a result, Tony’s Rapid was stored (after being first registered in 1987, hence the ‘E’ prefix) for the following 36 years.

Simon recommissioned the car last year, including powder-coating the suspension and replacing all the rubbers.

And, while the original engine has been preserved, the Rapid is now powered by a slightly more potent 1289cc 136 motor, running on a single Weber 40 carburettor.

It’s a jewel of a road car, too. Other than an ignition cut-off and switches for the front tank’s fuel pumps, the Rapid is stock inside.

The Škoda 120 Rapid Coupé’s sparse cabin reflects its circuit-racing roots

The controls are light and, once you’ve come to terms with the baggy, long-throw gearshift, throttle response is decent, although with a larger carb the engine likes to be revved high for best effect.

Even stripped of its cabin insulation, you leave much of the busy top-end noise behind and start to enjoy the way the Rapid gently bobs down the road, early 911-style.

The steering feels surprisingly pointy, and it takes little effort to lock up the front brakes (a few gallons of fuel in the long-range tank would help).

But understeer is kept in check, and when you push harder through bends the car’s mass settles over its outer rear wheel, with a slight lift merely tightening your line.

Fuel tank under the Škoda’s bonnet

This light, biddable and approachable near-standard Rapid shows how far ahead of the budget pack Škoda was at the time.

Nobody jokes about Škoda today.

That’s in part down to the Volkswagen effect, but it is also thanks to the likes of Messrs Haugland and Dickinson, who pushed the Czech brand’s envelope so far on stage and track.

Images: Max Edleston

Thanks to: Silverstone Rally School, which offers both driver and pacenote tuition, and also runs its own team, giving drivers the chance to experience competition; Simon Dickinson; Simon Daly; John Melling

Factfile

Škoda 130 LR (Gp B)

Sold/number built 1985-’89/n/a
Construction steel unitary
Engine all-alloy, ohv 1289cc ‘four’, two twin-choke Dell’Orto DHLA40 carburettors
Max power 130bhp @ 7500rpm
Max torque 114lb ft @ 6000rpm
Transmission five-speed manual, RWD via limited-slip differential
Suspension independent, at front by wishbones rear semi-trailing arms; coil springs, telescopic dampers f/r
Steering rack and pinion
Brakes ventilated front, solid rear discs; four-piston calipers f/r
Length 13ft 7¼in (4165mm)
Width 5ft 2½in (1600mm)
Height 4ft 7¼in (1400mm)
Wheelbase 7ft 10⅓in (2400mm)
Weight 1609lb (730kg)
Mpg n/a
0-60mph 7.2 secs
Top speed 112mph
Price new n/a
Price now £50,000*

Škoda Favorit 136 L (Gp N)

Sold/number built 1989-’95/n/a
Construction steel unitary
Engine all-alloy, ohv 1289cc ‘four’, single Pierburg twin-choke carburettor
Max power 67bhp @ 6250rpm
Max torque 100lb ft @ 5000rpm
Transmission five-speed manual, FWD via open differential
Suspension: front independent, by MacPherson struts rear torsion beam, trailing arms, coil springs; Leda adjustable dampers f/r
Steering rack and pinion
Brakes discs front, drums rear
Length 12ft 6in (3815mm)
Width 5ft 3¾in (1620mm)
Height 4ft 7¾in (1415mm)
Wheelbase 8ft 4in (2450mm)
Weight 1720lb (780kg)
Mpg n/a
0-60mph 14.3 secs
Top speed 92mph
Price new n/a
Price now £30,000*

Škoda 120 Rapid Coupé (Gp N)

Sold/number built 1983-’90/n/a
Construction steel unitary
Engine all-alloy, ohv 1174cc ‘four’, single Jikov twin-choke carburettor
Max power 57bhp @ 5000rpm
Max torque 66lb ft @ 3500rpm
Transmission four-speed manual, RWD
Suspension independent, at front by wishbones rear semi-trailing arms; coil springs, telescopic dampers f/r
Steering rack and pinion
Brakes discs front, drums rear
Length 13ft 7¾in (4200mm)
Width 5ft 2⅔in (1600mm)
Height 4ft 5½in (1380mm)
Wheelbase 7ft 10⅓in (2400mm)
Weight 1962lb (890kg)
Mpg 35.9
0-60mph 16.1 sec
Top speed 95mph
Price new n/a
Price now £20,000*