SKODA

This is what a three-door Škoda Favorit could have looked like

During the socialist era, Škoda had long been synonymous with rear-engined cars. However, by the end of the 1970s, those responsible in Mladá Boleslav realized that this could no longer be the case. Fiat, Volkswagen and even Opel were switching to front-wheel drive in the compact class. Thus began the 781 project with the first prototype, completed in 1981.

A special commission of the Czechoslovak Communist Party monitored the entire process and reported to the Central Committee. It was clear there that the future car could bring in foreign currency. However, Škoda's internal prototype was not particularly beautiful. That is why Prague demanded an "Italian style" in design. Chief development engineer Petr Hrdlička went to the Geneva Motor Show in 1983. Pininfarina was busy with other manufacturers, but Bertone had time and started work, which would prove to be a fortunate circumstance. For 28 million crowns, Bertone delivered four versions: a hatchback, a sedan, a station wagon and a coupe, a total of 19 prototypes. Proposals for interior design were also included. At the same time, the body of the 781 type was extended by ten centimeters, which improved the space in the cabin. 

The elegant three-door coupé version was the biggest commercial promise of the entire new model range, according to the head of the eponymous Italian studio, Nuccio Bertone. Bertone was convinced that this car could become a real bestseller, even in demanding Western markets, especially if it were equipped with the planned more powerful power units. Despite the great ambitions, however, history decided otherwise - in 1987, only a single prototype in a bright bronze metallic color saw the light of day, which is now a rare exhibit in the newly opened depository of the Škoda factory museum in Mladá Boleslav.

The preparation of this little-known prototype took place at the branch plant in Kvasiny, where engineers processed Bertone's original vision into detailed production drawings. The work progressed quickly; by the end of 1986, the raw body was completed, and the complete functional model was assembled in April of the following year. Structurally, the coupe was based on the standard Favorit platform with a wheelbase of 2450 mm, which facilitated possible mass production.

At first glance, the front of the car was identical to a classic hatchback, but upon closer inspection, fundamental differences stood out: the windshield was given a more aerodynamic, sharper slope and the front pair of doors were significantly extended to allow access to the rear. An extremely effective element that the contemporary Škoda Rapid/Garde did not have, for example, were the frameless side windows, which gave the car a touch of exclusivity and sportiness.

Instead of conventional handles, original opening levers were used, which the designers cleverly hid in the recesses in the bodywork just behind the edge of the door, similar to the original Fiat Uno.

Under the hood of the Favorit, a significant increase in dynamics was generally expected. Instead of the standard 1.3 OHV engine with roots in the 1960s (which ultimately lasted in Škodas until 2003), the car was to be powered by a new 1.4-liter unit with OHC distribution and an output of 56 kW (76 hp). This engine was to enable the three-door Favorit to overcome the speed limit of 160 km/h, which would make it a relatively competitive car in its class. Another argument for series production was the fact that the competing Soviet Lada Samara was also originally designed as a three-door car.

The plans of the then AZNP company optimistically scheduled serial production for the period after 1993. However, the people who worked on the coupe already suspected at that time that work on the coupe would end with a single prototype, simply because there were simply not enough funds to start the production line, and logically the five-door hatchback and later the Forman station wagon version were given priority.

Among the prototypes based on the later Škoda Favorit (type 781) is the elegant three-door model with the code number 783. Work on the vehicle with a slight coupé character began in 1985, first with sketches and a 1:4 scale model in the Bertone studio. The necessary documentation was then created in Mladá Boleslav and Kvasine, and the body was built in 1986. It was probably intended as a successor to the Škoda Garde / Škoda Rapid. The break in the front side window is striking, which is not particularly suitable for mass production. A similar solution appears in 1994 in the Alfa Romeo 145, but in a milder form. At Bertone itself, a similar break can later be seen in the rear of the Citroën XM. 

The Volvo Tundra study from 1979 also shows stylistic similarities. The 783 model was first introduced to the public in 1987, but series production never took place. The factory was already busy enough with the launch of the “standard” five-door Favorit, which began in August 1988. Of Bertone’s ideas for different body versions, only the station wagon called the Škoda Forman survived, which arrived on the market in 1990 with an identical boot door to the five-door version, in order to reduce costs. A pickup truck was also developed on its basis. In April 1991, Škoda passed under the auspices of the Volkswagen Group. Whether it was the Škoda Felicia or the Škoda Fabia, the three-door version never returned to the brand’s small car range.

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