When the Škoda 1101 first rolled off the production line in Mladá Boleslav on Monday, May 6, 1946, Škoda had already been the largest Czech car manufacturer and exporter for around ten years - a position that the company still holds today. The 'Tudor' followed on seamlessly from the successful Popular and Rapid models, although it differed from the Popular 1101 from 1940 not only in its modern body design.
For example, the 'Tudor', which was secretly developed during the Second World War, focused on improved road safety. Among other things, this was achieved by using powerful hydraulic brakes and hydraulic shock absorbers on the front axle, which also raised the level of comfort to a new level. There was also a noticeable increase in comfort in terms of noise levels, which in turn was achieved by combining the wooden body skeleton with natural insulating materials and the use of wool fabric upholstery.
Clever design: lightweight central tubular frame and all-round independent wheel suspension
The modern design of the vehicle was based on a rigid yet relatively lightweight central tubular frame with all-round independent wheel suspension. Propulsion was provided by a powerful OHV four-cylinder petrol engine with a displacement of 1,089 cc. It produced 23.6 kW (32 hp) at 4,600 rpm and had replaceable "wet" cylinder liners, which made servicing easier thanks to direct water cooling. As a four-seater model with a two-door closed body (external dimensions 4050 x 1500 x 1520 mm), the 'Tudor' weighed just 940 kilograms.
All this enabled a top speed of up to 100 km/h, which was remarkable for the time - with moderate fuel consumption of around eight liters. 200 millimeters of ground clearance, together with the robust chassis construction, ensured that the Škoda cut a fine figure even on light off-road terrain. It was precisely this versatility that paved the way for the new model from Mladá Boleslav to enter the American, African and Asian markets.
The 'Tudor' was available in various body variants. In order to best serve the different needs of customers at home and abroad, a four-door saloon was added to the two-door model, which allowed more comfortable access to the second row of seats. The range of open-top bodies included the popular 'Tudor Cabriolet' with a folding roof and fixed frame doors as well as an elegant roadster version. For more practical needs, the 'Tudor' could also be ordered with a van body or as a station wagon (STW). The latter offered a loading area 1,490 millimetres long and 980 to 1,380 millimetres wide with the rear bench folded down.
A bestseller on a world tour: Exported to 76 countries
The Škoda 1101 went on sale on the Czechoslovakian market from May 1946 at a price of 67,700 crowns, but without tires. After all, tires were still in short supply at the time due to the war and were not included in the scope of delivery. In view of the difficult situation, customers also had to present a special purchase voucher entitling them to buy a new car.
The career of the Škoda 1101 ended in March 1952 - paradoxically four months later than that of the modernized 1102 model, which had been built since 1948. The Škoda 1102, which also bore the nickname 'Tudor', differed from its predecessor at first glance with its modified bumpers and somewhat simpler radiator grille. In the interior, the relocation of the gearshift to the steering column gave drivers and passengers more legroom. A total of 66,904 'Tudors' were built in civilian versions between 1946 and 1952. Over 65 percent of all Škoda 1101 and 1102 vehicles went to foreign customers.
In 1951, the list of export nations already included 76 countries. In addition to Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium and the Federal Republic of Germany, the most important individual markets also included far-flung countries such as Australia, Brazil, India, the South African Union and Canada. At the same time, it was not only the security forces in Czechoslovakia that relied on the Škoda 1101 VO (vojenský otevřený - open military vehicle) and 1101 P (pohotovostní - riot van) derivatives, of which over 4,000 were delivered worldwide.
Successful in motorsport: class victory at the 24-hour race in Spa, Belgium
The Škoda 1101/1102 also recorded many significant successes on the world's racetracks. One of these dates back to July 11, 1948: at the 24-hour race in Spa, Belgium, three 'Tudors' registered by the local car importer Healers took an impressive class victory. Even heavy and prolonged rainfall could not slow down the cars, which crossed the finish line with a narrow gap after 1,972 kilometers. During the joint pit stops, they did not lose much time refueling, which was due not only to the enlarged tank of 55 liters but also to the very low fuel consumption of 8.1 liters per 100 kilometers for racing cars - at an average speed of 82.16 km/h.
The Škoda team was the only team to complete the challenging 24-hour race, which only around half of the participants finished, without any penalty points. In the same year, the victory of Uruguayan architect Arturo Porro in the Montevideo-Melo-Montevideo race also boosted the Czech brand's motorsport reputation. Second place went to Škoda Auto works driver Borrat Fabini, who continued the many pre-war successes with the Škoda Popular in his 'Tudor'. In Europe, the works team led by Václav Bobek, Jaroslav Netušil, Viktor Krupička and Miroslav Fousek mastered various challenging rallies such as the Raid Polski, the Swiss Interlaken Rally and the Austrian Alpine Rally.
In September 1949, the custom-built Škoda Sport with its aluminum body and shortened wheelbase finally took over the baton on the circuits from the near-series vehicles Š 1101/1102. The car, which reached speeds of up to 140 km/h, held its own at the 24-hour race in Le Mans (24 to 25 June 1950), among others. Václav Bobek and Jaroslav Netušil successfully held their own against the competition for a long time and were soon in a promising position.
However, after 13 hours of racing, the car lost power on the 121st lap and the team had to retire. The cause was a small technical defect with a broken piston pin fuse. However, only parts carried in the car could be used for the repair and a replacement fuse was not on board. By the time they retired, Václav Bobek and Jaroslav Netušil had fought their way up to second place in the 1,100 cc class with an average speed of 126 kph. The 1,089 cc four-cylinder engine with 31 kW (42 hp) at 5,200 rpm burned a mixture of gasoline, ethanol and acetone.
The Škoda Supersport with its aluminum body and removable fenders represented a further development stage of the innovative sports car. It was produced in three versions in 1950, the engine output increased to 88 kW (120 hp) and its top speed was 170 km/h. A later supercharger unit with a displacement of 1,500 cc accelerated the racing car up to 200 km/h. Many components of these special vehicles - such as the clutch, the gearbox and other assemblies - came directly from the production version Škoda 1101/1102 'Tudor'. They were easy to modify for racing and at the same time proved their impressive robustness even under the toughest conditions.
The successful 'Tudors' were succeeded in 1952 by the 'Sedans', as the Škoda 1200/1201 models were called, followed three years later by the 'Spartaks' (Š 440/445). The two popular Octavia and Felicia models finally marked the peak of the development of vehicles with a central tubular frame, the career of which only came to an end shortly before Christmas 1971.
More information on this interesting post-war car can be found on the Škoda-Media website.
