During the automobile's early years manufacturers were eager to prove the durability and performance of their products, thus motorsport was the ideal venue. Not exactly what we visualise as a race car today, the Laurin & Klement in this photo was a hot contender 100 years ago, beating numerous official and unofficial speed records. The Czechoslovakian company wisely hired Otto Hieronimus, a renowned race car designer and driver, and over the following years Hieronimus, Count Kolowrat and other drivers made the Laurin & Klement brand world-famous. The name was eventually changed to Skoda, which produced reliable cars up to the WW2 years, only to fall into the hands of a post-war communist government whose idea of a suitable vehicle was whatever could be (cheaply) manufactured from outdated western tooling. Think Yugo and Lada, both based on Fiat hand-offs. Skoda's Dacia was an ancient Renault in disguise, briefly marketed to unsuspecting Americans and Canadians looking for a cheap ride. When the commies finally faded into the sunset Skoda was purchased by Volkswagen and now makes quality cars built on VW platforms. Completing the first tests of the new Skoda Fabia Super 2000, Skoda Auto celebrated 100 years of competition history. Okay, it's a bit of a stretch, but who can blame their public relations people for attaching the brand image to that brave gentleman seated above?

[Source: Nigel Matthew]