This Super Rare Skoda Racer Was A Nightmare To Restore

Little-known to consumers stateside, Skoda is a Czech carmaker owned by the VW Group. Known for its value-driven range, the brand enjoys great popularity in Europe, where car buyers can't seem to get enough of the high-quality offerings. Despite this reputation, the brand's vRS performance cars are rather exciting, providing plenty of thrill for not much outlay.

The most recent model is the 295-horsepower Enyaq Coupe vRS, which boasts a 0-62-mph time of just 6.5 seconds - not bad for an all-electric SUV. But Skoda's performance legacy stretches back as far as the 1950s, with the obscure 1100 OHC Coupe. A prominent figure on endurance racing circuits in the early '60s, the lightweight sports car was deceptively quick, despite the rather asthmatic 90-hp four-cylinder engine. Amazingly, it could reach speeds of up to 124 mph, courtesy of a featherweight mass that would make a Mazda MX-5 Miata look obese. Interestingly, the 1100 OHC was originally only a spider, or open-top racer, derived from a humble family car called the 1101.

At around 1,223 pounds, the Coupe racer was exceptionally light. Just two were built and, when amendments to racing regulations signaled the end for Skoda's racecar, both were sold to private buyers in 1966. Sadly, the pair both met with crashes.

This would make the ultra-rare racer's restoration all the more difficult, even for a manufacturer with untold amounts of money at its disposal. Somehow, Skoda pulled it off - but it wasn't easy. One of the 1100s was destroyed in a fire and, as such, was pretty much useless when the time came to source parts.

Thankfully, the important components were found. Before it was installed in the rebuilt Skoda, the original engine was on display at a Czech vocational school. Similarly, the brakes, chassis, and several smaller parts came were sourced from a private collection. The unique rear axle with its integrated gearbox was already in Skoda's possession. Smaller trim details would prove hard to find, the restoration team borrowing several pieces from period Skodas.