The Buggy that never saw Sand

In the automotive world, the name “Buggy” stands for an agile, fun, open-top two-seater that allows you to cruise rapidly over sandy beaches. Coolness and fun have priority.

In the 1970s, the boom also jumped over the Iron Curtain to the facilities of Škoda. The real reasons why the eyes fell on the fashionable beach buggies at this time have not been recorded and are not known. However, in 1973 the starting signal was given to develop a buggy. The development took impressive two years. The vehicle was based on the substructure of the model 110 L.

In order to achieve better maneuverability, the wheelbase was shortened by 20 centimeters and the underbody – due to the lack of a roof – reinforced. The technicians paid great attention to an optimal weight distribution. While the 45 hp engine worked in the rear, the radiator, the battery, and the 40-liter tank found its space at the front. Of course, the roll bar, which was obligatory for this type of vehicle, could not be missing for 2-2 seater. Contrary to the usual use of GRP for the car body in the West at the time, the Škoda technicians made it out of sheet metal. Responsible for the design was Josef Čech.

In addition to the original prototype, another four vehicles were built by October 1975 by the trainees of the in-house apprentice workshop. One of them has survived to this day and is exhibited in the museum Mladá Boleslav.