Favorit is a car that was destined to play a huge role not only in the history of Skoda, but also in the development of the entire Czech automotive industry. In July 1987, the very first (“pre-production”) SkodaFavorit car rolled off the assembly line at the plant in Mlada Boleslav. Six months later, mass production started. Having received the name "Skoda 781" at the development stage, the production model with the name Favorit became the first Skoda front-wheel drive car. The chief designer of the car was appointed director of the research institute of the company Skoda Peter Grlichka. Designing the exterior and interior of the body was proposed by the Italian design studio Bertone.
The head of the company, Nuccio Bertone, developed the final form of the body for four months. In the fall of 1983, a gypsum model of 1: 1 scale was delivered to the Czech-Slovak side. About a year later, in August 1984, the company Bertone presented a prototype of the body, which was immediately filled with units made at the car factory. Thus was born the first running prototype. A total of 12 bodies were obtained from Bertone. It should be noted that the development of the body structure and the release of documentation was carried out by Czechoslovak specialists under the guidance of colleagues from Italy. In this way, fruitful cooperation led to excellent results.
The body turned out to be both modern in design and original in design. Another important partner involved in creating the Favorit model was Porsche with its outstanding developments in the field of acoustics and vibration. The German company was engaged in the creation of engine mount. As a result, 42 partners took part in the creation of the Skoda Favorit.
The impressive height (1415 mm) allowed the designers to sit passengers more vertically, which provided a convenient entrance and exit from the cabin. The possibility of layout of the front seats and the creation of beds testified to the thoughtful functionality of the internal space. Special attention is given to the heating system with an extensive scheme for supplying warm air. The dashboard was pretty richly framed for a car of this class. All readings were easy to read, excellent access was provided to all switches.
The basic version of the Favorit was equipped with nizhnevalny 4-cylinder carburetor engine of 1.3 liters and 58 hp The power unit created on the basis of the old design, manufactured since 1964. The updated version of the motor was adapted to be installed not longitudinally from the rear, but from the front across the car. Low fuel consumption has been achieved by a significantly improved engine power system. In 1989, a velvet revolution took place in Czechoslovakia, and the automobile plant started its hard years.
Cars from Western Europe went from abroad, and production disruptions began. The government decided to solve the problems of the car factory, which decided to sell the plant to a foreign investor. For this role claimed 24 companies, among which were such as BMW, GM, Renault. However, the best conditions offered Volkswagen. German designers managed to fix all the flaws and flaws. For Favorit, this was reflected in the introduction of more than three hundred changes in the design and a sharp improvement in the quality of the assembly, while retaining all the basic characteristics of the model. Problems with the quality of components immediately disappeared.
In February 1994, in addition to the carburetor, began to establish a central injection, which increased the power to 64 hp The model was produced until 1994, when Felicia replaced it.
