“You can’t take yourself too seriously when you sell Skodas for a living”
The butt of terrible jokes in the 1980s, the quirky Czech cars were simple yet robust – while looking after customers ensured great loyalty
31 March 2021 • 5:21pm
Small but dedicated dealerships reflected Skoda s no-frills approach. This is the author s father s outlet in Rochdale, celebrating the arrival of the F-registration Estelle in August 1988
The slogan ran “Surprising Skoda”. The Czech cars were a force to be reckoned with on the world’s rally stages although in the UK they are better known as the butt of bar-room jokes. Yes, we’re talking about the Skoda Estelle, the contrary, rear-engined saloon produced between 1976 and 1990 which was – for a long time – the cheapest new car in the UK. As the joke goes: “How do you double the value of a Skoda?” “Add fuel.”