Significant 1959 Škoda 1100 OHC Coupé, typ 968 recreated

To mark the 120th anniversary of its motorsport division, Skoda has rebuilt a historic 1100 OHC Coupe that competed in endurance circuit racing between 1960 and ’1962. It has been reconstructed using the original frame, chassis and engine, with engineers employing period drawings and documentation to complete the car.

Teams from Skoda’s museum restoration workshop and Prototype Centre collaborated on the project, hand-building the racer as a fully-functional vehicle. The original two-seater was driven by a four-cylinder engine producing 90bhp, mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. It could reach speeds of up to 124mph and was equipped with dual-circuit brakes.

Just two examples were built in the early ’60s, both privately sold in 1966 following changes to racing regulations. Skoda acquired the frame and chassis to one of the racers – complete with its front axle, brakes, pedals and other parts – from a Czech private collection in 2014. The company sourced some smaller components from period production Skodas, including door handles from a 1200, switches from an Octavia and the ignition lock from a 440 Spartak. The three-spoke steering wheel was adopted from a Popular, the firm’s best-selling pre-war model.

The racer’s bodywork was recreated using 0.8mm- and 1mm-thick aluminium sheets, helping to keep overall weight down to just 555kg. Skoda says 3D scanning and modelling were instrumental in helping to bring the car back to life, using historical photographs to ensure total accuracy.

Skoda prototype construction specialist, Martin Kadlec, commented: “You could say that the unique Skoda 1100 OHC Coupe has returned to its birthplace.”