SKODA FELICIA KIT CAR (1995) | Current news at Auto Klein GmbH & Co. KG

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SKODA FELICIA KIT CAR (1995) | Current news at Auto Klein GmbH & Co. KG-felicia

› Following the success of the SKODA FAVORIT on international rally routes, the new SKODA FELICIA took over the baton in 1995
> The Skoda Felicia Kit Car regularly sat down in the overall ranking of the Rally Championship against the competition
› It was powered by a four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 1.3, later with a 1.5 or. 1.6 liter displacement
› The FELICIA KIT CAR was the most successful SKODA with a driven axle in the World Rally Championship

Mlada Boleslav – The SKODA FELICIA was an important model for the car manufacturer from Mlada Boleslav in the 1990s, not only as a production vehicle but also in rallying. The SKODA Motorsport team had homologated a fully-fledged racing car built according to the rules of the new Kit Car category for the Formula 2 Championship.

In addition to the complete selection of images for this press release on the media portal skoda-media.de there is also a 32-page brochure on various topics from 120 years of SKODA Motorsport ready.

After the victory of the Skoda Favorite in the World Cup World Cup for vehicles of so-called Formula 2 for two-wheeled vehicles, great expectations rested on the newly introduced rally car Skoda Felicia Kit Car. In the 1990s it was common for rally cars to be based on production models. This also applied to the FELICIA, even if it was more heavily modified than the previous FAVORIT model in line with the requirements of the new kit car category.

The entire body skeleton of the SKODA FELICIA KIT CAR as well as the roof, doors, hood and windows came from the production model. The external dimensions also corresponded almost entirely to those of the production version. Only the fenders were wider to accommodate larger wheels, and there were also slight differences in the bumpers. The control panel corresponded to that of the production vehicle, but instead of the usual instruments, special instruments from the Stack brand were installed. The brakes came from AP Racing and the shock absorbers were supplied by Proflex.

The biggest changes compared to the production vehicle were found under the hood: at the time the SKODA FELICIA KIT CAR was being developed, SKODA Motorsport stood alongside the proven OHV engine with 1.300 cc, an engine with an increased displacement of 1.5 liters was also available, which was homologated for the car. The performances of 136 and 156 hp seem almost modest 25 years later, but the engines were reliable and light. Since the competition at that time mainly relied on four-cylinder engines with a displacement of two liters, the competition for the vehicles from Mlada Boleslav and their drivers on the international rally routes was all the tougher.

The specialists from SKODA Motorsport got the most out of the technology of the time. The engine’s pistons and crankshaft were forged, it featured OBR multi-point fuel injection, Bosch injectors, Jenswey throttle bodies, Champion spark plugs and special sports catalytic converters that did not reduce power. The McPherson front axle was fully adjustable; all setups had previously been tested in road tests. The rear axle was based on that of the SKODA PICK-UP and was additionally stiffened.

In 1995, the SKODA Motorsport team took part in a total of 24 rallies, four of which were part of the world championship. Third place in Formula 2 was a surprise, only having to admit defeat to the Peugeot and Renault teams, which had more powerful cars at their disposal. However, third place was also a commitment – and expectations were more than met next season.

In Mlada Boleslav, everyone was aware that the car needed a more powerful engine if it was to regularly win its class. Thanks to the existing connection to the Volkswagen Group, the designers were able to use the OHC four-cylinder with a displacement of 1.6 liters and multi-point injection, which was being used in the production vehicles with the winged arrow at the same time. Volkswagen itself had never used the engine in racing, so SKODA Motorsport in Mlada Boleslav was almost entirely responsible for the development. Pistons, connecting rods and crankshaft of the cast-iron four-cylinder were forged, and a new camshaft provided valve control. The power gained in this way of 174 hp compared to the heavier 1.500cc an increase of 18 hp, but the biggest advantage of this engine was the wider rev range.

The 1.6-litre engine was used for the first time in Portugal, where Pavel Sibera finished second among vehicles with a driven axle. He took the win in Australia and Emil Triner left the competition in New Zealand behind. The latter also became famous because he drifted onto the target ramp – even though his SKODA FELICIA KIT CAR only had front-wheel drive. The legendary Stiq Blomqvist achieved the greatest success in the FELICIA KIT CAR at the famous RAC Rally in Great Britain. There, in addition to a class win, he also took third place in the overall standings.

The SKODA FELICIA KIT CAR rally vehicles were also regularly successful in the domestic championship, but as early as 1997 they were gradually replaced by the larger SKODA OCTAVIA KIT CAR. This was the forerunner of the first SKODA rally car with all-wheel drive, the SKODA OCTAVIA WRC. The FELICIA KIT CAR could still be found on the start lists of various races many years after the end of its official ‘factory career’.

SKODA AUTO
› steers successfully through the new decade with the NEXT LEVEL – SKODA STRATEGY 2030.
› is striving to be one of the five top-selling brands in Europe by 2030 with attractive offers in the entry-level segments and additional e-models.
› becomes the leading European brand in India, Russia and North Africa.
> Offers its customers currently ten car model series: Fabia, Rapid, Scala, Octavia and Superb as well as Kamiq, Karoq, Kodiaq, Enyaq IV and Kushaq.
> Delivered 2020 over one million vehicles worldwide to customers.
> Has been part of the Volkswagen Group for 30 years, one of the world’s most successful car manufacturers.
> Manufactures and develops independently in the Group network next to vehicles also components such as motors and gearboxes.
> Maintains three locations in the Czech Republic; manufactures in China, Russia, Slovakia and India primarily through Group Partnerships and Ukraine with a local partner.
> Busy more than 43.000 employees worldwide and is represented in more than 100 markets.

The Skoda Auto Deutschland GmbH
> Entered the German market in September 1991.
> Represented in conjunction with around 1.100 sales and service partners The Skoda brand in Germany.
> Is part of the success story of the Czech traditional brand: 2020 were in Germany over 181.000 new SKODA vehicles were registered as passenger cars, which corresponds to a market share of 6.2 percent. SKODA was not only the number one import brand in Germany for the twelfth year in a row, but also further consolidated its position among the well-known volume brands.

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