It looked futuristic, elegant, fast and unique: 85 years ago, Škoda presented the streamlined 935 Dynamic at the 25th Prague Motor Show. The designers from Mladá Boleslav combined technically advanced and unusual solutions in this one-off model. When designing the spectacular streamlined body, for example, they drew on the latest findings in fluid mechanics - a design trend that was slowly beginning to influence automotive design at the time.
Thanks to its sophisticated aerodynamics, the prototype achieved an exceptionally low drag coefficient of cw=0.37 as early as 1935. The know-how that the engineers gained in this area with the 935 Dynamic was incorporated into the design of the production models that followed shortly afterwards, such as the Škoda Popular Monte Carlo from 1936 or the 'highway version' of the Škoda Rapid 1500 OHV presented in 1939.
However, there is another reason why the Škoda 935 Dynamic is still a highlight for technology fans today: the water-cooled four-cylinder engine with a displacement of two liters has opposed cylinders as a boxer engine and is arranged as a rear mid-engine in front of the rear axle. In this way, the designers have lowered the vehicle's center of gravity, which has a positive effect on handling. The power unit delivers 40 kW (55 hp) and accelerates the 935 Dynamic with a wheelbase of 3,200 mm to a speed of up to 130 km/h. Another innovative feature is the electromagnetic four-speed gearbox from French manufacturer Cotal, which enables semi-automatic gear changes with its pre-selector.
The construction and design of the Škoda 935 Dynamic and the knowledge gained during its development led to the idea in Mladá Boleslav of competing in the 1937 Monte Carlo Rally with a modified, more compact version. After all, Zdenek Pohl and Jaroslav Hausman had won their class with the Škoda Popular roadster at the 'Queen of Rallies' in 1936. The chief designer at the time, Karel Hrdlička, noted in his diary on March 25, 1936: "We will make the 935 lighter and convert it into a rally car for Pohl - perhaps with a supercharger?" In April 1936, a drawing of a sporty two-seater was created; shortly afterwards, the rally version was actually built, but it never raced.
In 1939, development of the sports car was discontinued and the vehicle was transferred to Škoda's used car stock - after which its trace is lost.
However, the history of the only example of the Škoda 935 Dynamic ever produced is well known: also in 1939, Škoda sold the vehicle as a used car to a private individual, from whom it bought the unique vehicle back in the 1960s - this was when the historic vehicle collection in Mladá Boleslav began to be built up. Three years ago, the museum workshop completed the extensive and comprehensive restoration of this unique vehicle, which has been one of the highlights of the Škoda Museum in Mladá Boleslav ever since.