The Škoda S110R – A Celebration
12 July 2021
In the late 1970s, many a young “Ton-Up” driver in their customised Ford Anglia 105E (a la The Young Ones) was amazed to be overtaken by a rear-engine coupe. They really should not have been surprised, as the S110R was one of the most desirable cars to hail from the Škoda factory. It was also, as your local dealer would no doubt tell you, a class winner at no less than eight RAC Rallies.
The S110R’s origins date from 1966 when Škoda planned the S100, a facelifted version of their 1964 1000MB. There was also to be a coupe version to appeal to Western buyers. The 110R débuted on the 5th September 1970 at the engineering fair in Brno and by the end of the year, it had appeared at the Paris, London and Turin Motor Shows.
The buyer gained an extremely attractive pillarless coupe with a twin-carburettor 1,107 cc engine and a top speed of 90 mph. The specification included front disc brakes, a rev counter, four-speed wipers, electric windscreen washers, folding rear seat, and – of course – a leather-covered steering wheel. Exports commenced in late 1971 and RHD versions became available in September 1972. According to Škoda, ‘2,371 coupes or 36 per cent of the total number of vehicles exported went to customers in Great Britain’ three years later.
The UK price was a very reasonable £1,098.71; by contrast, a home-market S110R cost circa 8,000 crowns, the average equivalent of 40 months’ wages. Any British motorist who regretted the recent demise of the Sunbeam Stiletto would have found the Škoda a very agreeable alternative. The brochure claimed it was ‘The Car of The Modern Generation’ with a cabin featuring ‘far more GT atmosphere than many a model with the GT badging stuck somewhere on the bodywork’. The latter comment was possibly a snide reference to certain Escorts and Minis.
The advertisements further boasted: “There’s one coupe today that gives you everything you’re looking for – good looks, sporty performance, reliability, comfort – and performance.”
A new S110R in Canary Yellow, Coral Red or Lime Green definitely added distinction to your driveway. It would also have some neighbours complaining about ‘one of those communist cars’ and ‘too flash by half’. However, no true Škoda enthusiast cared less about suburban gossip and more about startling Capri 1300 drivers on the A35.
1973 saw the S110R gain quad headlamps and front head restraints as standard, and by that time 90% of production was destined for overseas markets. Production of the S100 saloons ended in 1977 with the introduction of the Estelle, but the coupe remained available until 1980. Few of the 57,085 S110Rs survive, and they are now highly collectable – as befitting ‘a car that makes very sense’. As well as possessing industrial levels of charisma.
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