Seventy-five years after Škoda lined up for its first and only competition at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans, a meticulously restored Škoda Sport racing special has returned to the renowned circuit as part of the prestigious Le Mans Classic for historic sports cars.
It’s not the first time the historic Škoda has returned to the legendary circuit but it is extra special this year, as it marks 75 years since Škoda racing driver Václav Bobek sprinted across the start line to slide behind the wheel of car number 44, before setting off on his first 13.65km lap. The occasion is doubly significant as it occurs as Škoda celebrates its 130th anniversary.
Škoda’s entry in the 1950 Le Mans endurance race was a rare sight in its day. Europe had already been divided by the Iron Curtain, making the car from Czechoslovakia a curiosity on the starting grid of the world’s toughest endurance race.
The two-seater special, with its hand-built aluminium bodywork, was based on modified components from the 1946 Škoda 1101 ‘Tudor’ production model and made use of many standard parts.
The race car featured two additional headlights for better illumination during the night and special openings in the radiator grille for better cooling of the drum brakes on the front wheels.
An extended wheelbase of 2150mm ensured improved driving stability, with the Škoda Sport weighing in at a spritely 700kg, including tools and spare parts.
The water-cooled four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 1089cc delivered an output of 37kW at 5200rpm for a top speed of 140km/h. The special fuel mix consisted of petrol, ethanol and acetone, with the car’s relatively low consumption of 12.0L/100km meaning the Škoda crew had to refuel less often than rivals.
By dawn on race day in 1950, the Škoda Sport held second place in its class for cars up to 1,100cc and fifth overall on the performance index. After 13 hours – having averaged 126 km/h – a broken piston pin circlip dashed any hope of a surprise result. Race regulations prevented the technical fault from being repaired on site, meaning lap 121 proved to be Škoda’s last at Le Mans.
The 1950 Le Mans special was one of only two such race cars built and was long thought lost, but was eventually rediscovered and brought back to life through a careful restoration that preserved as many original components as possible.
After a six-year restoration, the car made its return to the circuit in 2022, its aluminium body still bearing the scars of battles fought on the race track more than seven decades earlier.
The vehicle now regularly competes in the prestigious Le Mans Classic and lined up on the starting grid again this year to commemorate both the endurance racing tradition and the 130th anniversary of the Škoda brand.
“Every time we climb into this original cockpit on this iconic circuit, we picture the Bobek–Netušil crew taking the start in 1950. It’s a truly special moment for Škoda and for us personally,” say Stanislav Kafka and Michal Velebný, the pair responsible for bringing this unique car back to Le Mans in recent years.
