From bike to car and back
02/09/2020
Many car manufacturers built bicycles even before they ventured into motorized vehicles, whether motorcycles or automobiles. This made sense, because individual motorization began with the bicycle. Vaclav Laurin and Vaclav Klement, the founders of Skoda's predecessor brand L&K, developed their own bicycle, the "Velo Slavia". It weighed only 18 kg and was a modest 1325 mm long. Around 4000 units were built.
Soon, however, cars with combustion engines promised more profit and the two-wheelers were dropped.
It wasn't until the modern era that many car manufacturers remembered the two-wheeler and suddenly you could buy bikes from BMW, Mercedes-Benz/Smart or Ferrari. However, the car giants were then happy to have the two-wheelers built externally and the service business was also not very important. But that's another story for another time.
Incidentally, the Vélo Slavia can still be admired at the Rétromobile Paris until tonight (February 9, 2020), as can some other rare examples.
Our report from the Rétromobile is in the making ...
