Exactly 60 years ago today, on 30 January 1959, the original Škoda Octavia rolled off the production line in Mladá Boleslav.
Think ‘Octavia’ today and a family-friendly saloon or estate comes to mind, but the first Škoda to carry that name was actually the stylish two-door model you see above.
Its name comes from the fact that it was the eighth model launched by the company since the Second World War.
For the first few weeks, this new model was produced alongside its Š 440 and Š 445 predecessors.
Under the bonnet of the rear-wheel-drive Octavia was a 1.1-litre, 40hp engine mated to a four-speed manual gearbox, giving the car a 110kph (68mph) top speed, while coil-spring front suspension helped ride comfort.
During that first year, asymmetric headlamps were introduced as a safety measure, plus the more powerful Octavia Super arrived, with 45hp from its 1.2-litre engine.
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