ŠKODA OCTAVIA TOURING SPORT (1960): Successful return to international rally courses

› ŠKODA returned to international motorsport at the end of the 1950s
› The SPARTAK and sporty TOURING SPORT versions of OCTAVIA models enjoyed great rally success
› In 1961, the Finnish duo Esko Keinänen/Rainer Eklund clinched a class victory at the legendary Monte Carlo Rally with the ŠKODA OCTAVIA TS, finishing 6 th overall

Mladá Boleslav, 30 April 2021 – After the political situation eased slightly at the end of the 1950s, ŠKODA returned to international motorsport and competed in the prestigious Monte Carlo Rally in 1956 for the first time since 1949. The ŠKODA #octaviatouringsport (TS) also secured numerous victories at international rallies in the early 1960s, continuing the motorsport tradition of the car manufacturer from Mladá Boleslav. The complete photoset to the press release and a comprehensive selection of articles and features on various topics from 120 years of ŠKODA Motorsport can be found on the 
ŠKODA Storyboard.

The tradition of dynamic ŠKODA vehicles that were also suitable for everyday use began in the mid-1930s with the RAPID. This model was slightly larger than the POPULAR, and the powertrains of the two series were also different. The tradition of sporty models from Mladá Boleslav continued in 1960 with the launch of the #octaviatouringsport (TS).

ŠKODA returns to the international motorsport stage
The 1960s were a politically eventful decade: the Mladá Boleslav-based automaker also wanted to take advantage of the cautious opening of Czechoslovakia. Success in motorsport has always been a good way to promote new models, and ŠKODA sent its vehicles to compete in prestigious international events. Long cross-country rallies served as endurance tests for man and machine, and the ever more powerful and faster rally cars guaranteed exciting races. At that time, competing in motorsport events required minimal expenditure, and many teams modified their vehicles themselves. A solid and reliable basic model like the ŠKODA OCTAVIA TS proved powerful enough to make it to the front of the field.

ŠKODA OCTAVIA TS: Carefully considered modifications boost performance
The OCTAVIA TS was available with two displacements and therefore also in two performance variants. In contrast to the basic version of the OCTAVIA, the initial version with a displacement of 1,089 cm3 had two Jikov 32 SOPb downdraught carburettors. Later, the engine was fitted with a new intake manifold and, thanks to the deflectors on the pistons, had a compression ratio of 8.4:1. These modifications increased the output to 50 hp at 5,500 rpm, while the maximum torque of 74.5 Nm was reached at 3,500 rpm.