The Škoda 860 was a luxury car built by Škoda from 1929 until 1932. It was offered mostly as a six- to eight-seat limousine, with cabriolets among the other bodies, and it was powered by a 3.4-litre straight-eight. Only 49 were made, and three of them have survived.
Škoda 860 at a glance
| Maker | Škoda, Mladá Boleslav |
|---|---|
| Production | 1929–1932 |
| Bodies | six- to eight-seat limousine, cabriolet |
| Engine | 3,380 cc straight-eight, side valves, water-cooled |
| Power | 44 kW (60 hp) |
| Top speed | 110 km/h |
| Weight | 1,265–1,850 kg, depending on body |
| Built | 49 |
| Survivors | 3 |
There is no English Wikipedia article on the Škoda 860; this page is based on one source, the Czech Wikipedia article.
History of the Škoda 860
A car for the top of the market
The 860 was Škoda’s large luxury model of the late 1920s, the kind of car built for government use, for wealthy private owners and for hire by the hour. Its straight-eight engine of 3,380 cc with side valves and water cooling produced 60 hp, enough for 110 km/h, a high figure for a car of its size and period. The chassis was long and the bodies were large: most cars were six- to eight-seat limousines, but cabriolets were also built, and the weight varied between 1,265 and 1,850 kg according to the body fitted.
Why so few
The 860 was expensive and it arrived just as the world economy collapsed. Production ended in 1932 after 49 cars, a figure that reflects both the price of a straight-eight limousine and the depth of the depression in Czechoslovakia. Three cars survive, one of them in the Škoda museum in Mladá Boleslav, where it is shown as a 1932 example.
Design and features
- Straight-eight engine: 3,380 cc and 60 hp, a smooth and expensive layout for the period.
- Large bodies: six to eight seats in limousine form, with cabriolets built to order.
- 110 km/h: a high top speed for a heavy Czechoslovak luxury car of 1929.
- Rarity: 49 built and only three survivors.
Škoda 860 versions
- 860 limousine: the standard six- to eight-seat body.
- 860 cabriolet: open bodywork in small numbers.
- Museum car: the 1932 example preserved at Mladá Boleslav.
Škoda’s large cars of the 1930s also included the Superb. More cars are in the Škoda collection.
Sources
- Škoda 860, Czech Wikipedia: production years, engine, bodies, weights, totals, survivors
