Marko Hanželic
Today, it is difficult to explain to younger people the interest with which people awaited the new model of the Czech company Škoda at the end of the 1980s. It was known for a long time that they were preparing a modern model with front-wheel drive (in fact, it was planned before the Prague Spring, but then the Russians vetoed it), but the process took so long that even the Lada Samara arrived on the market before the Czechoslovak representative.
For a reason, it was a big step forward, comparable only to the market much less successful domestic model Yugo Florida, until then the most modern Eastern European car. Bertone's attractive body with sharp lines, which is emphasized by the asymmetrical front grille, also helped. The modern design with five doors, dimensions 3.815 x 1.620 x 1.415 mm, combined with relatively solid equipment and a very reasonable price ensured it a bestseller status not only in the East, but also in many Western countries, even in many places outside of Europe.
The engine was of the old Kent construction, with three crankshaft bearings, derived from the 4-cylinder engine that had already been installed in the popular Škoda 1964 MB model in 1000. It was already interesting in the original, with an aluminum block and cast iron head, and it extracted 988 hp from 44 cubic centimeters of displacement. In the case of the Favorit, it was moved to the front of the car and installed transversely instead of longitudinally. The volume was increased to 1.289 cubic centimeters, and the power to 62 hp, and the last series with a catalyst had 58 hp.
Experts from the Porsche company and British Ricardo Consulting Engineers helped with the reconstruction. Although the conversion of the engine, which was moved from the longitudinal rear (for rear drive) to the transverse front (for front drive), may seem like an easy job, the whole thing dragged on for three years. Mainly due to adaptation to ecological norms.
If you may have forgotten, it is worth remembering that the Škoda Favorit 136 had a 1.3-liter engine with a carburetor and 62 hp, while the Škoda Favorit 135 injection had electronic fuel injection and 58 hp (the catalytic converter, which throttled its power, took away four horses). The injection was a central SPI (Single Point Injection), with one injector instead of an alternator. Far from modern MPI injection systems, not to mention something more modern, at the time this solution for Škoda was a true marvel of space engineering.
The name Favorit is of course taken from the rich history of the Czech brand, and the tradition of reviving legendary old names was continued by Felicia (1936-1941), Octavia (1959-1971), Superb (1934-1949) and Rapid (1935-1947). The base version of the L already offered headrests on all seats, heated rear window and rear-view mirror adjustment from the cabin, while the LS added a tachometer, fog lights, a rear wiper and a split rear bench. After the takeover of Škoda by the Volkswagen company and with an extensive renovation, the original designations were replaced by new ones, LX and GLX.
In recent years, series of more richly equipped special editions have arrived on the market, but the most famous in our country are the Silver Line and Black Line. In accordance with tradition, the Favorit also achieved enviable rally successes, class wins in the WRC and occasional top 10 in the general classification. The Favorit is an important and successful model that sold very well on the Slovenian market in the early 90s, and its successor, the Felicia, which was sold in 1994, was also successful. The latter is basically just a thoroughly refined version of its predecessor.
Bertone initially envisioned a full range of Favorites: station wagon, sedan, station wagon, coupe, pickup, elevated van and rescue version. But apart from the hatchback, only the Forman station wagon, introduced in 1990, and the Pick-up version saw serial production. A smaller series (around 200 examples) of the convertible was produced by the MTX company, as well as several versions for special purposes. The changes to the basic model were followed in detail, a slight rework in 1991 and a bigger, more serious one in 1993.
