The brands of German, Japanese, British and American cars are on everyone's lips today. Less often, the brands and models of cars produced in France and Italy are recalled. However, cars are produced not only in these countries. Many countries that are not so prominent on the world stage also have their own automobile production facilities with a fairly long history. We will try to find out more about the brands and models of Czech cars.
Car production in the Czech Republic
In 1815, Josef Bozhek presented his ferry car, which was a self-propelled crew, to the Czech public. Actually, it was one of the very first cars in the world and the first in the Czech Republic. It is from the moment of its creation that the history of the country's automotive industry should be counted.
It should be noted that the Czech Republic has always been famous for its high-class engineers and mechanics, so it is no coincidence that the automotive industry has been and is the basis of its economy.
On the eve of World War II, Czech automakers began mass production of cars, but due to the war, it greatly decreased, although it did not completely stop. Subsequently, in the post-war period, this made it possible to significantly expand production.
As a result, shortly before the collapse, about 250 thousand different types of vehicles were produced in Czechoslovakia per year. In particular, trolleybuses and cars were produced by the Skoda company, Karosa buses, Tatra trucks and trams, as well as small Avia trucks were quite famous.
The Czech motorcycle Java was very popular. The demand was also for CZ motorcycles.
After the collapse of Czechoslovakia, most of the automotive production remained in the Czech Republic. The Czech state has received large investments from Western and Far Eastern investors for the development of this particular industry.
Therefore, today in the Czech Republic, cars are produced not only by local brands, but also by world famous companies such as Hyundai, Citroën, Peugeot, Toyota. And the most famous Czech manufacturer Skoda has been part of the Volkswagen concern since 2000.
As a result, Czech car manufacturers have access to the latest innovations and are able to produce cars that are internationally competitive.
In 2021, the Czech automotive industry ranks sixth in Europe and sixteenth in the world ranking. About 1.2 - 1.4 million cars are produced here annually, which are sold almost all over the world.
The most famous car brands in the Czech Republic
Undoubtedly, the most famous Czech brand in Russia is Skoda. Cars of this brand, which are not inferior in quality to the cars of the parent company Volkswagen, but have a lower price, can often be seen on the roads of our country. However, there are other brands of Czech cars, which are also quite well known in the world. Among them:
- cargo brands: Tatra and Avia.
- car brands: Praga and Kaipan.
Tatra brand
The history of the company began with the manufacture of horse-drawn carriages. It should be noted that the workshop flourished and even had branches outside the country, in particular, in Kiev.
The first self-propelled crew was assembled in the workshop in 1897. And in 1921 the company became known as Tatra. Initially, the lineup of the company included both trucks and cars, but in 1971 it was decided to focus only on trucks.
The Czech Tatra four-wheel drive truck was well known in the Soviet Union and other Eastern European countries. However, the collapse of the socialist camp and the frequent change of owners of the company led to a slight drop in the popularity of this brand in Russia. Nevertheless, the Tatras are still widely known in the world for their unpretentiousness, high traffic and ability to work even in difficult climatic conditions.
Passenger car models of “Tatras” are also found - however, now, mainly, in Czech museums.
Avia brand
Avia's small medium-duty trucks were also well known in the USSR. On the chassis of these trucks, buses of the same name were also manufactured, which were also supplied to our country. A distinctive feature of the trucks of this brand was the shape of their cabin, somewhat reminiscent of aviation.
Note that the history of the company really began with aviation. In 1919, an aircraft workshop was established in the suburbs of Prague, which was moved to Lentyany in 1931. After the Second World War, the assembly of Tatra trucks began on the basis of the workshop.
From 1952 to 1959, the company tried to return to aviation and actually assembled aircraft. However, later this production was curtailed and the trucks of the Praga concern began to be assembled. Well, the first Avia was released in 1967.
The company currently manufactures trucks with a gross weight of 6 to 12 tons.
Praga brand
Concern "Prague" was founded in 1907 and for more than a hundred years specialized in the production of trucks, weapons and military equipment, so its products were known mainly to specialists in this narrowly professional field. However, in 2021, the car plant sharply changed the profile of its activities and began producing supercars.
The only model presented to the public, the R1R, in its appearance resembles a real racing car and has quite decent technical indicators in order to be considered a supercar. The car's carbon fiber body weighs 670 kg and provides 575 horsepower per ton of car weight. The cost of a car is about 170 thousand euros.
Kaipan brand
Cars of the Kaipan brand appeared on the market relatively recently. The company itself was created in 1991, but it only managed to present the first car in 1997.
The company specializes in the production of roadsters - the so-called two-seater open-top cars. These machines are very popular among people with an upper middle income.
The first model was based on the Lotus 7, which clearly indicates the desire to gain a foothold in the upper price segment. The rest of the models are also similar to Lotus, but have their own corporate identity that distinguishes the brand from others. Machines are made to order with an advance payment of 66%. The base price of the car is 49,367 euros.
Skoda brand
Skoda is undoubtedly the most famous Czech brand in the world. The company is the national pride of the Czech Republic, being the largest enterprise created in this country back in 1895 as a subsidiary of Laurin & Klement. After that, the company changed names several times, and during the Second World War it even entered the defense structures of Germany.
The Skoda name became the company's brand again in 1990. Since 2000, the company has become part of the Volkswagen Group and now produces high-quality, but relatively inexpensive cars that are popular in the world.
The lineup of the company's passenger cars sold in Russia is currently represented by the following cars:
- SKODA RAPID;
- SKODA OCTAVIA;
- SKODA YETI;
- SKODA KODIAQ - this model is positioned as an SUV and has all the qualities inherent in a crossover. That is, it is able to perfectly move on roads that are in different conditions, however, this car is still not suitable for off-road movement. However, like most other, not Czech, crossovers.
- SKODA SUPERB.
The Skoda Fabia, which is quite popular among Russian motorists, is currently not on sale.
You can find out more about the company and its vehicles by visiting the official Skoda website in Russia by following the link.
How to buy or rent a car in the Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is one of the most highly developed countries in Eastern Europe, therefore not only cars made in this country are presented here, but also models of leading world brands.Official dealers of all well-known car brands are widely represented in the Czech Republic - you can find a car dealership in Prague for any brand you are interested in.
Moreover, if the owners of the car dealership recognize you as a real buyer, even a test drive of the car you are interested in is possible.
However, most of our compatriots are more interested in used cars. Of course, in the Czech Republic there are all the possibilities for buying cars on the secondary market: there are car markets, there are many sites for the sale of cars.
If you have arrived in the Czech Republic and do not want to part with the habit of moving around by car, you will not have any problems with renting a car in this country. All the world's leading car rental operators operate on the Czech market. A number of local companies are also active. A relatively new car-sharing service is gradually developing - renting a car for a short period with a per-minute payment.
Finally
The car industry in the Czech Republic is very well developed. The country produces both its own brands of cars and assembles cars of other well-known brands. The most famous Czech car is Skoda - it is under this brand that relatively inexpensive high-quality passenger cars are produced.
However, new companies have appeared - "Prague" and "Kaipan", which produce supercars and roadsters under the names of the same names. Unfortunately, Czech trucks “Tatra” and “Avia” are undeservedly forgotten in Russia. However, both car companies have been successfully producing them to this day.
