The Stadion was the moped that put Czechoslovakia on two motorised wheels. Made from 1957 by Motor České Budějovice in its Stadion works at Rakovník, it was the first moped built in the country and became a common sight on village roads.
Stadion at a glance
| Maker | Motor České Budějovice, Stadion works, Rakovník |
|---|---|
| Production | from 1957 |
| First prototypes | 1956 |
| First series | S1, built briefly |
| Main series | S11, over 150,000 built |
| Next range | S22, from 1960 |
| Last type | S23 of 1962, small series for export only |
| Type | moped, single-seat light motorcycle |
| Nicknames | kozí dech, fichtl in Moravia |
There is no English article on the Stadion; this page is based on the short Czech article and gives only the facts it contains. The Stadion was made by Motor České Budějovice, not by Jawa, although the two are often mentioned together.
History of the Stadion
The Stadion was the first moped manufactured in Czechoslovakia. Prototypes were built in 1956, production started in 1957 and it gathered pace only in 1958. Motor České Budějovice made it in a branch factory at Rakovník that carried the Stadion name, and the moped took that name as its own.
From S1 to S23
The first series, the S1, was built for only a short time before being replaced by the improved S11. That model became the backbone of the range and the most numerous Stadion of all, with more than 150,000 machines built. In 1960 the S22 series followed. The last moped of the line was the S23 of 1962, made in a small series and only for export.
The Stadion was a simple machine in the mould of the European mopeds of the 1950s: a small single-cylinder two-stroke engine, pedals to start and to help on hills, a pressed-steel frame and minimal equipment. It was cheap to run and easy to repair, and it gave people who could not afford a motorcycle or a car a way of getting to work in the countryside.
In everyday speech the moped was nicknamed kozí dech, or goat’s breath, and in Brno and Moravia it was known as a fichtl. Those names outlived the machine itself, and a Stadion is now a common exhibit at Czech moped meetings.
Design and features
- First of its kind: the first moped built in Czechoslovakia.
- Huge production: more than 150,000 of the S11 alone.
- Simple engineering: a small two-stroke engine, pedals and a pressed frame.
- Last version for export: the S23 of 1962 never went on sale at home.
Stadion versions
- S1: the first short series of 1957.
- S11: the main model, more than 150,000 built.
- S22: the series that followed in 1960.
- S23 (1962): small export-only series, the last of the line.
The Stadion came before the Jawa-built small machines such as the Babetta and the Jawa 50/23 Mustang. More light Jawas are in the Jawa collection.
Sources
- Stadion (moped), Czech Wikipedia: production, series, nicknames
