1970 SKODA 110R 1.1L 4MT (52 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Back in the ’70s, Skoda was a modest carmaker from Czechoslovakia, and it aimed the East European customers, who were trapped behind the Iron Curtain.

Some particular vehicles made history, such as the 110R Coupe, the Porsche of the East. The fastback coupe was a sportier version of the regular sedan Skoda S100, which was based on the 1000MB. Its country needed Western money, so they had to export it to the rest of Europe and get some GBP or Deutsche Marks back. The 110R was just the right car to get that. Skoda promoted it in the U.K.’s RAC Rally, where it obtained several class wins.

At the front, the car featured four round headlights and a flat panel without any grille. That was because the water-cooled engine was in the back. Its fenders and doors were flush, and the car’s profile was aerodynamically enhanced. Skoda installed chromed, metallic bumpers with rubber shock-absorbers on them.

The interior was elaborated for its times. At the front, it featured two bucket seats. Between them, Skoda installed a floor-mounted gear-stick. A center stack connected the dashboard with the center console, with a radio on it as an option in front of it. The flat dashboard offered a glove-box in front of the passenger and five dials. In the back, there was a bench for two passengers, especially children.

Skoda installed a 1.1-liter, longitudinally-mounted engine. It was paired to a four-speed manual gearbox, and that was the only option. Unlike the sedan version, the 110R’s four-pot was upgraded to offer slightly more power.