However, that rear-engined layout and swing-axle rear suspension meant that on-limit oversteer was also the order of the day. Still, the most important thing was that the 1000MB became Skoda’s first car to hit a million sales, encouraging the firm to follow this template for future models over the next two decades.
Moreover, it marked Skoda out as an eastern European brand that did things differently. While fellow state-run manufacturers such as Lada (of the USSR) FSO (Poland) and Yugo (Yugoslavia) raided the Fiat back catalogue, the men and women of Mladá Boleslav followed their own path.
By the 1970s, Skoda had almost entirely gone the rear-engined route, refining the concept into the stylish 110R coupé and then the all-new Type 742. On the showroom floor, these were known as the 105 (1.0-litre) and 120 (1.2-litre). Here in the UK, they were christened the Estelle.
Much more modern in looks and with the handling tamed, they offered the reliability, quality and warranty of a new car but at the price of a smaller second-hand machine.
Of course, for many this era of Skoda is defined by the jokes. As the excess-all-areas, aspirational 1980s took hold, these cheerful Czechoslovakian offerings became the punchline for comedians looking for a cheap laugh.
Yet for those who actually drove the cars, the reality was rather different. Sure, they couldn’t match the best in the West for ultimate sophistication and comfort, but they were solidly built, packed a decent haul of kit and had genuine space for the family.
Towards the end of their life, they were even entertaining to drive. Really. In 1988, we went as far as placing a 136 Rapid Coupé on the cover under the bold headline: “What handles like a Porsche, costs only £4200 and is more fun than a GTI?” Words very much unminced. That year was significant for other reasons too. For starters, Haymarket, Autocar’s publisher since 1984, made a winning bid for weekly archrival Motor, creating the slightly clunkily titled Autocar & Motor (surprisingly, the name stuck until September 1994).
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