Škoda Favorit
Škoda's first front-wheel-drive car, a Bertone-designed supermini.
The Škoda Favorit (Type 781) is a supermini built by Škoda Auto between 1987 and 1995. It originally launched as a five-door hatchback, with two more body styles added later: a five-door estate called the Škoda Forman (Type 785) in 1990, and a two-door coupé utility truck named the Škoda Pick-up (Type 787) in 1991. This model was Škoda’s first to place the engine at the front, mounted transversely, and its first to use front-wheel drive. It debuted in July 1987 at the Brno Engineering Fair in Czechoslovakia. The Favorit name had previously been used for Škoda’s Type 904 and 923 models from 1936 to 1941.
The Favorit replaced the aging rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive Škoda 105/120 Estelle. Its Bertone-designed hatchback body and front-wheel drive marked a significant step toward modern mainstream design. However, the car took a long time to reach production. The communist government of Czechoslovakia, then Škoda’s owner, approved development of a front-wheel-drive car in 1982, but actual development didn’t start until 1983. Disputes between the government’s brief and Nuccio Bertone, the styling studio owner, meant the design wasn’t finalized until mid-1985, with full production beginning only in 1987. A four-door saloon and a two-door hatchback coupé were fully designed during this period but never entered production.
The Favorit became one of Central Europe’s most popular cars and was exported to many countries, including Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Israel, Poland, Russia, Turkey, and others. It was replaced in 1994 by the Škoda Felicia, developed with Volkswagen Group, who had taken over Škoda Auto.
The car is sometimes compared to the Volkswagen Polo, as fuel-injected versions share the Bosch Mono-Motronic 1.2.3 engine management system with the Polo Mk2 and Golf Mk3. Its large engine compartment made repairs easy, and parts are highly interchangeable with other Eastern European cars. Its design and mechanical functionality are practical, especially compared to Western cars that require expensive parts or specialized maintenance for simple components.
Around 50,000 Favorits were sold in the UK from 1989 to 1995, but by December 2016 only 232 were still on the road, and they were disappearing quickly.
Quick Facts
- Manufacturer
- Škoda Auto
- Aka
- Škoda Favorit Estate (Forman)
- Production
- 1987–1994 (Favorit) / 1990–1995 (Forman) / 1991–1995 (Pick-up)
- Assembly
- Vrchlabí, Czech Republic / Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic / Kvasiny, Czech Republic / Poznań, Poland
- Predecessor
- Škoda 120 / Škoda 130
- Successor
- Škoda Felicia
- Class
- Supermini (B)
- Layout
- Front-engine, front-wheel-drive
- Engine
- 1,289 cc I4 (petrol)
- Transmission
- 5-speed manual
- Wheelbase
- 2450 mm
- Length
- 3815 mm (Favorit) / 4160 mm (Forman) / 4065 mm (Pick-up)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Development of the Favorit was approved by the communist government of Czechoslovakia in 1982, but actual development did not start until 1983. Disputes between the government's brief and Nuccio Bertone, the styling studio owner, meant the car was not designed until mid-1985, and full production did not commence until 1987. A four-door saloon and two-door hatchback coupé were fully designed but never produced. The Favorit premiered in July 1987 at the Brno Engineering Fair. It was initially only a five-door hatchback; a five-door estate called the Škoda Forman appeared in 1990, and a two-door coupé utility truck called the Škoda Pick-up followed in 1991. The Favorit name had previously been used for the Type 904 and 923 models produced from 1936 to 1941. Following Volkswagen Group's takeover of Škoda Auto in 1991, new developments were rapidly implemented, including fuel-injected catalytic converter versions, cosmetic improvements, Volkswagen seats and interiors, strengthened door beams, and a redesigned front. Further modernisations in 1993 included mechanical and electrical upgrades, a facelift, and bigger bumpers.
Reader's Guide
The Škoda Favorit proved itself as one of Central Europe's most popular cars and was exported to numerous countries including Argentina, Chile, China, Israel, Poland, Russia, Turkey, and others. Its large engine compartment contributed to easy repair, and parts were very universal with other Eastern European cars. The engine, a 1,289 cc inline-four with overhead valves, had its combustion chambers redesigned by Ricardo Consulting Engineers, while Porsche helped engineer the engine mountings. The engine was progressively upgraded with Bosch Mono-Motronic single-point fuel injection and catalytic converters. The same engine was later used in the Škoda Felicia and, as a 1.4 MPI unit, in the Škoda Fabia until 2003. In motorsport, two Favorits finished first and second in the under-1300 cc class of the 1993 Monte Carlo Rally. The Škoda Motorsport-entered Favorit won outright in the 2-litre Manufacturers Championship category of the 1994 FIA World Rally Championship with 43 points, defeating rivals from Ford, Citroën, Peugeot, Fiat, Renault, Rover, Suzuki, Daihatsu, Lada, and Trabant. The Favorit was replaced in 1994 by the Škoda Felicia, developed in conjunction with Volkswagen Group.
Did You Know?
- A 1993 blue Favorit drove from Liverpool to Madrid for the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final and back, costing £40.
- The Favorit's engine can last over 200,000 km without a cam chain change, though performance degrades.
- Special versions included the all-black 'Black Line' with Ronal alloy wheels and the rare 'Solitaire' with a factory alarm.
- MTX produced a roadster version of the Favorit called the MTX Roadster.
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