Almost ten years after the premiere of the iconic Škoda 130 RS coupé, the next generation of rally cars from Mladá Boleslav was on the starting line with the Škoda 130 LR: Group B racing cars dominated the rally world in the 1980s. The Czechoslovak car manufacturer also had a 'hot iron' in the fire, with talented drivers that repeatedly prevailed even against the most prominent names on the scene.
Most rally fans remember Group B as the domain of powerful racing cars that reached almost unimaginable speeds at the time. However, it was precisely because of this enormous performance that a series of incidents occurred, which ultimately led to the category being abolished completely. The Škoda 130 LR also competed in Group B in the shadow of the almost fearsome, supercharged models from well-known manufacturers. Despite significantly less power in comparison, it drove to some successes against the competition.
With its rear engine and rear-wheel drive, the Škoda 130 LR had a comparatively unconventional design. The only vehicle on the track with a similar technical concept was the Porsche 911. The development of the 130 LR began after the abolition of Group 2 put an end to the long, successful career of the Type 130 RS. A replacement was needed, as the homologation of the 130 RS had almost expired. At the same time, a vehicle based on the Škoda 105/120 mass-produced model was to be introduced. The new car had to be lighter, faster and easier to handle than the previous model.
To this end, the designers in Škoda's motorsport department developed a number of innovations. The 1.3-liter engine was fitted with a new eight-channel cylinder head made of aluminium. This came from the engine development for the Favorit, the future success model was in preparation at the time. With two Weber DCOE twin carburetors, the engine produced 130 hp, which was transmitted to the rear wheels via a five-speed gearbox and a self-locking differential.
The 130 hp was particularly impressive due to the Škoda 130 LR's low kerb weight of just 730 kilograms. The hood and doors were made of aluminum, the side windows and later also the rear window were made of Macrolon Plexiglas. Everything that was not absolutely necessary was removed from the vehicle. The occupants were protected by a light metal protective frame from Heigo.
A new rear axle with modified kinematics ensured better controllability in the 130 LR. This made it possible to change the ground clearance and install a stabilizer bar. The front suspension was also modified and adjustments were made to the brake system. The front brake discs were cooled and disc brakes were used on the rear axle as a further technical innovation. The efficiency ratio of the front and rear brakes could be adjusted, and the hydraulic handbrake was also an innovation.
The homologation of the Škoda 130 LR with the testing of a series of 200 units by the FIA took place on December 19, 1984 at the Vrchlabí plant. The LR made its debut on the rally track in February of the following year, naturally with the aim of building on the numerous successes of its predecessor. At its premiere, the Valašská zima Rally in 1985, the Škoda 130 LR with the driver teams Křeček/Motl, Haugland/Bohlin and Kvaizar/Janeček immediately took the top three places. The Škoda 130 LR scored its first major international success at the famous British RAC Rally at the end of 1985, where Norwegian driver John Haugland took 15th place overall.
The 130 LR's next major triumph came the following year at the Acropolis Rally, one of the toughest rallies in the world. The duo Ladislav Křeček/Bořivoj Motl won their class and finished 13th overall. They were even able to improve on this result at the 1986 San Remo Rally with sixth place overall. The greatest success was the victory of the Austrian driver team Gerhard Kalnay/Günter Tazreiter in the overall standings of the Marlboro Günaydin Turkish Rally. In this European Championship race, the Škoda 130 LR left the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16, the Audi Quattro, the MG Metro 6R4, the Renault 5 Turbo and other strong vehicles in the field in its wake.
As a result of fatal accidents in the 1986 season, the FIA had already made the decision towards the end of the season to discontinue Group B, which was practically synonymous with the end of the 130 LR's international career. It subsequently raced for two more years in the Czechoslovak championship and in races of the then Peace and Friendship Cup, in which the duo Pavel Sibera/Petr Gross won the last championship title in a rear-engined car in the 1988 season. During this time, the works team was already taking part in international races with the Š 130 L vehicles modified for Group A with minor adaptations. At the same time, production of the new front-engined Favorit short-tail model began and the designers focused on developing a new front-wheel drive rally car.
As the vehicles were not spared in amateur rallies and other races, only very few of the several hundred 130 LRs built (200 homologation vehicles, 20 racing cars and an unknown number of vehicles modified for the 130 LR specification) have survived to this day. Thanks to the growing interest in rally cars from the 1980s, the original works vehicles of the 130 LR type are now highly sought after by collectors and are traded at correspondingly high prices.
