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Škoda Classic Tour up close

It’s Saturday morning, and around the Škoda Museum in Mladá Boleslav you can see almost nothing but classic cars and Youngtimers. Surrounding them are Škoda Auto employees, as this rally is dedicated to them and their cars built up to model year 1993. Even the rain cannot spoil the relaxed atmosphere, although it gave way to sunny skies before noon.  

This year, with a celebratory spirit marking 130 years of the brand, 207 cars of various ages and brands lined up for a route stretching over 140 kilometres. Among them was the Škoda Storyboard crew in a Škoda 1000 MBX.

As every year, the route took participants through interesting and unique places. For example, immediately after the start, the crews drove through the Škoda Auto main factory, where the cars passed through the production hall with a demonstration of the latest predictive maintenance technologies and an exhibition of student cars.

From there, the itinerary took participants north of Mladá Boleslav, with the first stage ending at Svijany Castle. Before reaching the castle, however, crews had to complete three regularity tests, in which distances must be covered in exact times measured to hundredths of a second. This competition is not about speed, but precision.

One of the tests took place right next to the birthplace of one of the carmaker's founders in Kamení near Pěnčín. Dressed in period clothing, Václav Laurin and his wife welcomed all the crews with a Laurin & Klement 110 car from the Škoda.​

The second stage was made more entertaining by a guessing quiz challenge and a precision reversing test. The route then continued from Svijany to the traditional finish at the Metoděj Vlach Aviation Museum in Mladá Boleslav. With the morning rain long gone, the crews lingered well after the finish, sharing experiences and stories not only from the Škoda Classic Tour itself.