We love rallying Škodas here at Goodwood, and the news that the Czech firm is to sponsor this year’s rally stage at FoS has given us the excuse to share a few images from its glorious past; so glorious was it in fact, that in the sub-1300cc class its rear-engined cars won their class on the gruelling RAC rally for a staggering 17 years on the trot!

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Once the redoubtable Czechs changed tack and went for a front-wheel-drive platform after the 1989 season the class wins kept coming, and in 1994 they scooped the Formula Two Championship outright. Well …actually they were the only team competing full-time, but whenever the technologically superior Astras and Sunnys turned up the Škodas usually prevailed, usually because they were considerably tougher than the toughest of old boots.

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Škoda’s rally cars have usually been there-or-thereabouts, and for the last few years the marque has been competing in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge and European Rally Championships.

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Yep, it’s hard not to love ’em, and at FoS you’ll be able to show your appreciation when ex-works driver Neil Simpson pilots the same Škoda Fabia S2000 around the Forest Rally Stage presented by Škoda which popular Belgian Freddy Loix used to win last year’s Ypres Rally.
Don’t these cars look fantastic being driven hard?

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