Since 1976, there have been two paths of development in the European Touring Car Championship. Group 5, which counted on expensive prototypes, soon disappeared, while cars under the rules of Group 2 enjoyed great popularity. They were closer to production cars.
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The race field consisted of several divisions according to engine volume, with Division 1 setting a maximum volume limit of 1300 cm3. Points for the championship in the classification of producers were awarded according to the results in the given division. The series was thus attractive not only for designers of large cars, but also for manufacturers of production cars with relatively small engines, which was precisely the case with the Škoda.
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From the 110 R coupe with rear-wheel drive and rear engine, they developed the 130 RS. The Group 2 car was homologated on May 1, 1975 and celebrated success on Eastern European circuits, but also on famous rallies.
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In 1980, the cars appeared at the start of the European Touring Car Championship. Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and later Audi, were rivals in the 1.3 engine capacity category.
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Out of nine races, the Škoda won seven divisional victories. As only the seven best results were included in the overall evaluation, Škoda scored a maximum of 140 points, as did three other manufacturers from other divisions. According to the rules, a better eighth result had to be taken into account in such a situation. In the end, the Czech brand took second place overall.
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She had to wait until next year for the triumph. The 1981 season consisted of eight races, most of which ran 500 kilometers, and all factory-supported Škoda teams had Czech crews.
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They won everywhere, only in the final event in Zolder on September 27, 1981. Škoda did not win in its division, they rejoiced at Audi.
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Again, only the seven best results were included in the overall evaluation of the championship. For seven divisional victories, Škoda gained a total of 140 points, as did BMW in Division 5. This time, the eighth result was taken into account. Skoda used third place from Zolder, which BMW did not reach.
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Škoda 130 RS
Photo: Škoda Auto
In the end, the title of manufacturers in the European Touring Car Championship traveled to Mladá Boleslav. For the 1982 season, the ETCC fundamentally changed the technical regulations and the 130 RS was no longer eligible. The brand again focused on rallies in motorsport.
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