In September this year, two Škoda cars will celebrate their jubilee – Felicia went into production on September 5, 1994, Fabia September 14, 1999. Today we will talk about the oldest of the sisters, which was acquired by 1.4 million customers in different body versions during the seven years.
At that time, it was a Škoda car with many firsts. Felicia was the first model with a winged arrow, which received an ABS anti-lock braking system, up to four airbags, air conditioning, power steering, a practical on-board computer, height-adjustable front seats, and for an additional fee, premium leather upholstery was also available.
Felicia was structurally based on your favorite, but nearly 1,200 newer and significantly upgraded parts were used to build it. In addition to aesthetic progress, Škoda wanted to focus on quality and reliability.
Photo: Škoda Auto
The name Felicia refers to the open model of the same name from the beginning of the fifties and sixties. It comes from the Latin phrase felicitas, meaning happiness and a feeling of happiness.
Compared to the favorites, the novel was 40 mm longer and 15 mm wider. The cabin had a bigger view, and at the same time, the luggage space improved by twenty litres. The body frame was greatly strengthened, the stabilizer at the crank hinges of the rear wheels reduced the lowering of the car in corners.
The engines were also more powerful against the Favorit. In 1995, the basic thirteen-cylinder with 40 or 50 kW was supplemented with a gasoline four-cylinder 1.6 MPI with 55 kW and a diesel one-nine with 47 kilowatts. A diverse range of power units was already taken into account when developing the Favorit, so installing the company’s engines was not a problem.
Photo: Škoda Auto
“It’s such a nice family car,” said President Václav Havel after the first test drive with Felicia.
And how did Felicia do in numbers? Between 1994 and 2001, more than 900,000 hatchbacks were sold. A more practical station wagon arrived a year later and added another 350,000 units. However, we should not forget about other products – 125,000 constructions, which were supplemented by another 19,000 of the same cars, only with the VW Caddy specification. Felicia Fun is undoubtedly a very rare utility vehicle today, and only 4,216 of these were produced.
Photo: Tomáš Hyan
The era of the Škoda Felicia definitively ended on June 26, 2001. However, those interested in compact, practical Škoda did not have to be sad, in the meantime, a newer and even better equipped Fabia arrived on the scene . But more about her sometime next time…
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2024-08-27 17:00:00
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