120 years ago, Václav Vondrich secured a historic racing victory in France on a Laurin & Klement motorcycle – a milestone for the emerging brand from Mladá Boleslav. Today, Škoda Auto looks back on 130 years of company history, marked by a special exhibition at the Škoda Museum.
120 years ago, factory rider Václav Vondřich claimed victory on a Laurin & Klement CCR motorcycle in the challenging Coupe Internationale des Motocyclettes race, the unofficial world championship held in Dourdan. This marked the pinnacle for motorcycles from Mladá Boleslav in international racing, as Laurin & Klement launched the production of automobiles in autumn 1905. Today, the globally active Czech car manufacturer celebrates its 130th anniversary with a special exhibition at the Škoda Museum in its hometown Mladá Boleslav.
“The Travelling Blacksmith”
Václav Vondřich (1874–1943) was a trained file maker and a Czech cycling pioneer. Just two years after Laurin & Klement was founded in Mladá Boleslav, Vondřich began assembling bicycles using components from the company in 1897. He became only the 26th person in Prague to acquire a driving licence in 1902, and by September that same year, he had already secured multiple victories riding motorcycles from Mladá Boleslav in races across Bohemia, Austria, Germany, and Italy.
From 26 February 1904, Vondřich was a factory rider for the rapidly growing Laurin & Klement company. On 25 September 1904, he competed in the Coupe Internationale des Motocyclettes in Dourdan, France, an event regarded at the time as the unofficial world championship. Initially leading, Vondřich’s chances were scuppered by nails scattered on the track, and he finished fifth. The following year, on 25 June 1905, he returned, this time taking the precaution of carrying a leather bag with spare parts and tools, which earned him the nickname ‘the travelling blacksmith’. After 216 kilometres, during the fourth of five laps, Vondřich took the lead, eventually winning on his L&K CCR twin-cylinder motorcycle ahead of competitors from England, France, Germany, and Austria, with a time of 3:05:15. He reached speeds exceeding 100 km/h on the straights.
Laurin & Klement and Škoda
In the founding days of the company in 1895, Laurin & Klement initially produced bicycles known by the designation “Slavia”. In 1899, the company started sketching own motorcycle designs, which featured either air or water-cooled engines. The brand’s motorsport journey on two wheels already began in 1901 and in March 1904, the Laurin & Klement CCCC model was one of the world’s first four-cylinder motorcycles. The company from Mladá Boleslav reached its motorcycling peak with the Dourdan victory in 1905, before motorcycle production was gradually phased out to free up capacity for the first automobiles as the sector was more promising. Back then, the company achieved numerous successes, both in motorsport competitions and sales to customers across Europe and even overseas. After merging with the Plzeň-based engineering group in 1925, the Škoda brand name was adopted. Since 1991, Škoda Auto has been under the umbrella of the Volkswagen Group turning from a regional market leader at that time into a globally successful car manufacturer. Last year, it delivered over 926,000 vehicles for customers in almost 100 markets.
Exhibition: 130 years of the Mladá Boleslav-based carmaker
This year, Škoda commemorates 130 years since its foundation. A comprehensive exhibition highlighting key milestones and intriguing facts will be open at the Škoda Museum in Mladá Boleslav until 11 January 2026. Visitors are welcome daily from 09:00 to 17:00. More details and the latest news are available at museum.skoda-auto.com, as well as on the museum’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
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