Our 1201 STW
Year of manufacture: 1957. The car underwent a complete three-year restoration and was put into operation on June 30, 1958.
Vehicle manufacturer: Automobilové závody n. p., Mladá Boleslav
Body manufacturer: Automobilové závody n. p., Vrchlabí
Technical approval was issued under certificate no. 17968/56 by the Ministry of Transport on March 23, 1956.
History of this vehicle:
The first owner acquired it on July 10, 1956, in Děčín. It then passed to an owner in Prague in 1960, another in 1994, and finally to us on January 9, 2003. The car was purchased in fairly good condition with a supposed mileage of 60,000 km (later found to be closer to 260,000), in non-original paint, and with several non-factory modifications.
By coincidence, I had often walked past this very car—parked in Prague 4, Antala Staška Street (as many Prague vintage enthusiasts may recall)—before the owner approached me with an offer to sell. We agreed on the price and closed the deal. Although the price wasn’t low, I expected that with a bit of cleaning and minor revitalization, the car would serve reliably with its patina preserved. However, it soon became clear that a full restoration would be necessary to achieve true satisfaction. The restoration was successfully completed in December 2005.
After experience with the “small series” cars (Octavia, Spartak), the Škoda 1201 pleasantly surprised us on the very first drive with its higher comfort, spaciousness, quietness, handling, and overall driving qualities. We hadn’t expected such a difference and quickly grew fond of it. Compared to the Octavia and similar models, it also allows for carrying various loads – even a large dog.
The car was eventually sold as part of a decision to reduce the collection. Its new owner is a car showroom in the United Kingdom.
After renovation 2005:
Technical certificate.
Technical certificate.
Condition after purchase. Mechanically everything worked perfectly, so I naively believed we’d avoid a complete restoration. Just needed to revive the paint, refurbish some parts, etc...
Cleaning the dashboard had an immediate effect, but many non-original modifications could not be undone.
The car’s paint was of very poor quality, and I gradually accepted the idea of a complete restoration.
Restoration: For a perfect result, only a complete, high-quality restoration was an option.
Body renovation.
After sandblasting what looked like a decent body, lots of rust, poor repairs, and modifications appeared, including a broken differential mount. But that’s almost always the case.
The rear light housings had to be newly manufactured. Almost all cars have lights improvised to the 1202 type.
Harder to find were three types of custom light covers.
Car goes to paint shop.
In the paint shop.
Finished paint.
Frame renovation.
Mechanical renovation.
Vertical pin.
Vertical pin.
Shock absorber – front.
Shock absorber – rear.
Gearbox was nonfunctional.
Accessory renovation.
Assembly.
Renovation completed – December 2005.
