The S?KODA 1203, the most widely used Czechoslovak commercial vehicle of the 20th century, is celebrating its 50th birthday.
The #van, which was designed as a forward-control pickup, premiered on 14 September 1968 at an engineering fair in Brno. The S?KODA 1203 was omnipresent in its day and literally accompanied Czechs and Slovaks from cradle to grave – because ambulance and hearse versions were available, as well as countless other variants including microbuses, delivery vans and trucks, workshop vehicles and many more.
The history of the S?KODA 1203 reflects many peculiarities of the centrally controlled planned economy in post-war Czechoslovakia. The development of a light commercial vehicle with an advanced self-supporting body in a practical one-box design had begun in Vrchlabi? in the second half of the 1950s – but production was not launched until 1968. The S?KODA 1203 celebrated its premiere on Saturday, September 14 1968 at the International Engineering Fair in Brno.
