Škoda Favorit History

Revealed at the Brno Engineering Fair in July 1987, the Favorit was a pivotal model for Škoda: its first front-wheel-drive, front-engine car, designed by Bertone under Marc Deschamps and replacing the ageing rear-engined 105/120 Estelle. Under the constraints of Communist Czechoslovakia, development had been delayed from a 1982 government approval to a 1987 debut.

The Favorit proved itself in motorsport well beyond its displacement: two Favorits finished first and second in the under-1300 cc class at the 1993 Monte Carlo Rally, and the model claimed the 1994 FIA 2-Litre World Rally Championship manufacturers' title despite running a 1.3-litre engine. Production ended in 1995 when the Felicia succeeded it.