It still has the plastic covers on the seats.
May 4, 2023 at 3:36 am ET
Skoda wouldn’t be where it is today if it hadn’t launched the Favorit. Designed by Bertone, the brand’s first front-wheel-drive, front-engined car was one of the deciding factors in the Volkswagen Group’s interest in the Czech brand. The model came about after a decision made by the Czechoslovak government in December 1982 to have the car fully developed by June 1985 and start production within five years.
It was launched in July 1987 at the Brno Engineering Fair and received updates in the second half of its life cycle following VW’s acquisition in 1991. The hatchback was retired in 1994 to make way for the Felicia , which was later replaced by the Fabia. we all know it. This restored 1993 Favorite is a true time capsule, having only been driven 34 kilometers since the original Athens owner bought it 30 years ago.
The best preserved Skoda Favorit in the world
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The story goes that those miles were done en route from the showroom to a community garage near the owner’s home. Skoda says she “simply decided that driving wasn’t for her,” so the car sat there for three decades before changing hands. The vehicle was found in the fall of 2022 and went up for auction. Racing driver Jiří Mičánek Junior bought the hatchback for the princely sum of €24,000, which these days buys you a well-equipped Fabia.
The new owner picked up the car in Frankfurt and doesn’t plan to drive it much either. Save yourself a few scratches, it’s factory fresh and even comes with a protective plastic cover on the seats. This Favorite is an LX trim with dealer-installed faux wood trim and nifty graphics running down the sides of the car.
Being a lesser version, it doesn’t even have a tachometer as all you got was a massive clock. Being a later model that benefited from VW’s know-how, the 1.3-liter engine with a mighty 54 horsepower (40 kilowatts) had Bosch electronics instead of a carburetor. It should still reach its advertised top speed of 85 mph (137 km/h) after changing the oil, filters and battery.
We’re used to seeing expensive, limited-edition cars locked away for years, but this Favorit is a humble hatchback that would be perfect for the Skoda Museum in Mladá Boleslav.
