Škoda celebrates 20 years with VW

Škoda this week marked the 20th anniversary of its joint venture with Volkswagen.

Joined by dignitaries including the Czech president, Václav Klaus, and the president of the Senate of the Czech Parliament, Milan Štech, Volkswagen Group CEO Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn and company head Prof. Winfried Vahland praised the two manufacturers' cooperation and commitment, the Czech brand quadrupling its worldwide sales since 1991.

Beginning with a single model, Favorit (pictured), Škoda now boasts a five-model series (Fabia, Octavia, Roomster, Superb and Yeti) which it says personifies the brand's value-for-money reputation. The vehicles, which are manufactured in the Czech Republic, set high standards in their respective segments, a point it says is proven by the number of sales records achieved along the way.

Last year, Škoda sold more than 750,000 cars in over 100 countries.

As Škoda continues to invest in new products and new markets it has moved into developing markets including China, India and Russia. From 2013 Skoda will begin building its Yeti compact SUV in China, a country that now accounts for more than a quarter of the brand's total sales.

Škoda chairman Prof. Winfried Vahland said at the event the group's 25,000-strong team will continue to build on its success, predicting two-fold growth within the coming decade.

"Within the framework of the Škoda Growth Strategy, we want to at least double our sales in the next years and sell at least 1.5 million vehicles worldwide in 2018," Vahland said.

"We want to clearly increase our activities in China and in other growth markets, [but] Europe and the Czech Republic [will] remain our home base. With a successful development in the international growth markets, we also strengthen our good position at home.

"The development of Škoda since Volkswagen's commitment has been unique in the automobile industry.

"It was nothing less than the rebirth of a legendary automobile brand located in the heart of Europe. Under the umbrella of the Volkswagen Group, the brand was given new life and started a successful comeback.

"It was an extremely farsighted decision by the Volkswagen Group as well as the economically and politically responsible movers of the Czech Republic at the time to give this German-Czech alliance a chance."

Volkswagen head Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn was also quick to praise Škoda's performance, saying that 20 years ago, "few people believed in such a brilliant development of this brand. And at the time, hardly anybody thought it possible for Czechs and Germans to work together so well and in such a cooperative manner. [Today] the Škoda is a strategic spearhead for our Group."

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