Skoda

Introduced in January 1959, the Skoda Octavia was a compact family car produced by the Czechoslovak manufacturer AZNP at its plant in Mladá Boleslav. The name Octavia referred to it being the eighth model developed by the nationalised Skoda company. It replaced the Skoda 440/445 series and featured several technical improvements, most notably a redesigned front suspension with coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers instead of the earlier leaf-spring arrangement. The Octavia saloon was offered with 1,089 cc and 1,221 cc four-cylinder engines producing between 40 and 55 horsepower, allowing top speeds of around 110–115 km/h. In 1961 an estate version, the Octavia Combi, was introduced, using the 1.2-litre engine. While the saloon was replaced by the new rear-engined Skoda 1000 MB in 1964, the practical estate remained in production until 1971.