tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72706008971523988042024-02-07T01:16:19.609-08:00Skoda NewsLatest Skoda newsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-73201990860383219462012-03-20T01:19:00.000-07:002012-03-20T01:20:11.264-07:00Canary Islands Rally dominated by ŠKODA vehicles<br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>› Fantastic battle between winner Kopecký and second-placed Mikkelsen up until the very end of the rally</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>› Second consecutive double for ŠKODA</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>› ŠKODA and Mikkelsen in Fabias top the IRC standings</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>› Another very good result for Sepp Wiegand</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Las Palmas, 17 March 2012 –Taking place on asphalt roads in Gran Canaria, the second event of this year´s IRC championship offered a thrilling spectacle. The fans saw a fierce battle for every second between winner Jan Kopecký of ŠKODA Motorsport and second-placed Andreas Mikkelsen of ŠKODA UK Motorsport. Although Mikkelsen had a 3.6 second lead after the last-but-one stage, it was Jan Kopecký who celebrated victory in the end. ŠKODA has thus achieved a second consecutive double to reinforce its lead in the Manufacturers category and Mikkelsen tops the standings in the Drivers category.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Both drivers of factory Fabia Super 2000s – Andreas Mikkelsen and Jan Kopecký – set the pace right at the beginning and it soon became clear that the only candidates for winning this rally were the two of them. Kopecký won eight stages in total, Mikkelsen won seven. Kopecký had a 1.2 second lead after Day 1, but Mikkelsen caught up with him in Saturday´s first stage and remained first up until the last stage, defending a tiny lead over Kopecký. However, Mikkelsen had bad luck in the last stage when a minor technical problem cost him the overall victory. Making his asphalt debut in a Fabia Super 2000, Sepp Wiegand of ŠKODA AUTO Deutschland repeated his fourth place from the Azores Islands and is third overall after the first two events of this year´s IRC series.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Commenting on the Canary Islands Rally, Head of the ŠKODA Motorsport team Michal Hrabánek says: “We have achieved a second consecutive double, which means that ŠKODA has indeed made a very good start to this season. The battle between Andreas and Jan was lovely and thrilling from the beginning until the end – these fights for every second are very exciting from the spectators´ point of view and are actually very typical of the IRC championship. I wish to thank all of the teams with Fabia Super 2000s for representing ŠKODA really excellently”.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jan Kopecký: “The Canary Islands Rally is one of my favourite events, the grip on the asphalt roads here is great and the routes and absolutely lovely. It was a fierce battle with the decisive moments in the last stage, but we wanted to win, obviously. We are looking forward to our next opportunity to appear in the IRC, but now we are going to concentrate on the Wallachian Rally where we want to put in the best possible performance to please our home audience”.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The IRC championship continues with the Ireland Rally that is taking place in the surroundings of the town of Armagh over the first weekend of April. Next weekend Jan Kopecký will appear at the Wallachian Rally that is part of the Czech Rally Championship. Kopecký & Dresler won the first event of the Czech Championship – the Jänner Rally in January.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ŠKODA has set up a video news service for the events that it takes part in. Highlights and interviews are available on www.youtube.com/motorsportskoda </span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-61325469583899153932012-03-20T01:17:00.003-07:002012-03-20T01:17:49.441-07:00Fierce battle between Kopecký and Mikkelsen in the Canary Islands<br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>› Tough fight for every second</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>› Kopecký is 1.2 seconds ahead of second-placed Mikkelsen after Leg 1</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>› Leg 2 on Saturday will offer six stages (102 km)</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>› Video coverage available on www.youtube.com/motorsportskoda</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Las Palmas, 16 March, 2012 – Day 1 of the second event of this year´s IRC series, an asphalt rally on the island of Gran Canaria, offered an exciting battle for the first place between Jan Kopecký and Andreas Mikkelsen in factory Fabia Super 2000s. After the opening leg (nine stages, 139 kilometres), the Czech Republic´s Jan Kopecký of ŠKODA Motorsport (factory team) is 1.2 seconds ahead of Norway´s Andreas Mikkelsen of ŠKODA UK Motorsport.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Starting right at the beginning and lasting all day long, the fight for the first place was extremely tough and exciting, with only two names on the list of winners of today´s nine stages – Jan Kopecký (five) and Andreas Mikkelsen (four), both in factory Fabií Super 2000s. Hermann Gassner Jr. in a private Fabia Super 2000 is fourth, ŠKODA AUTO Deutschland´s Sepp Wiegand who is making his debut in the Super 2000 category is fifth after Day 1.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jan Kopecký: “We knew we would fight for every second here. The main thing is not to make a mistake that would cost us valuable points in the Manufacturers category. Every little detail will make a difference”.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The event ends on Saturday with Leg 2 whose programme includes six stages (102 kilometres).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ŠKODA has set up a video news service for the events that it takes part in. Highlights and interviews with drivers and other team members will be available on www.youtube.com/motorsportskoda .</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-68660989432811593002012-03-20T01:16:00.001-07:002012-03-20T01:16:19.632-07:00ŠKODA repeats double-digit growth in February<br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>› ŠKODA sales up 13.1 per cent to 72,100 cars</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>› World market share grows to almost 1.5 per cent</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>› Advances in all sales regions, with especially strong growth in Europe, China and India; ŠKODA now one of the top brands in Switzerland</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>› New ŠKODA Citigo introduced as five-door version in Geneva </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mladá Boleslav, March 13th, 2012 – ŠKODA is continuing its double-digit growth in 2012. In February alone, worldwide sales grew by 13.1 per cent to reach more than 72,100 unit. The brand’s world market share is thus slightly below 1.5 per cent. Sales advanced in all regions, with an especially strong growth posted in Europe, India and China. In Switzerland, ŠKODA is now the number –two selling brand. The Geneva Auto Salon saw the new Citigo debut as a five-door version.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">“Our repeat double-digit growth in February 2012 confirms ŠKODA sustained growth path,” says Jürgen Stackmann, ŠKODA board member for sales and marketing. “We are continuing a high rate of growth and are wholly on the course of our 2018 Growth strategy. In the first two months of this year, we have shown an excellent performance both in absolute and relative sales figures,” Stackmann added. “In this context, it is important to note that the overall sales climate in Europe has cooled noticeably this year.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">“2012 has begun briskly. A good January was followed by an excellent February. In all . this amounts to 147,500 ŠKODA cars, that’s a plus of about twelve per cent in the first two months of this year,” Stackmann went on. “Our model offensive is in full swing. The ŠKODA Citigo has made its debut in Geneva and will soon be introduced to major European markets.” The new subcompact is to be the brand’s entry for new target groups. ŠKODA has just introduced it as a five-door version at the Geneva Auto Salon.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In February 2012, ŠKODA’s sales in Western Europe’s strongly contested markets proved very stable. While total deliveries there were down more than eleven per cent, ŠKODA’s sales rose 0.8 per cent to 27,700 units (February 2011: 27,500 units). ŠKODA thus increased its market share in Western Europe yet again – from 2.85 per cent in February 2011 to about 3.2 percent in February 2012. Sales in Switzerland were especially dynamic (plus 24 percent/1,500 cars), with ŠKODA now the number-two selling brand behind VW. In France (plus 15.9 per cent/1,800 cars) and in </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Finland (plus 19 percent/about 1,000 cars) ŠKODA also posted double-digit growth. In Germany, Europe’s largest car market, ŠKODA continued its successful run, with sales growing by 8.6 percent year-on-year in February to almost 9,900 cars. In Austria, sales were up 8.5 per cent to close to 1,700 units. In February, the brand’s bestselling models in Western Europe were the ŠKODA Octavia and the ŠKODA Fabia,but demand for the ŠKODA Yeti and ŠKODA Roomster also rose considerably – by 12.1 percent and 6.4 per cent, respectively.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ŠKODA posted strong growth in Central Europe as well. sales rose by 7.7 per cent to almost 11,000 cars. In the Czech Republic, the brand’s home market, ŠKODA sales were stable in February at almost 4,800 cars. In Croatia, sales were up 22.0 per cent, in Poland up 21.1 percent and up 17.4 per cent in Slovenia. The ŠKODA Yeti (plus 26.9 per cent) and the ŠKODA Roomster (plus 17.2 per cent) proved especially popular in Central Europe.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ŠKODA again scored strong percentage growth in Eastern Europe, with more than 8,900 deliveries in February translating into a plus of 30.9 per cent as against February 2011, which saw 6,800 units delivered. Russia remained the region’s growth engine by far: at more than 6,300 deliveries, sales rose 39 per cent as against February 2011. The ŠKODA Octavia was the brand’s most popular make yet again in February 2012, posting 3,500 deliveries (plus 37,3 per cent). The ŠKODA Yeti (plus 132,4 per cent), ŠKODA Roomster (plus 132,7 per cent) and ŠKODA Superb (plus 72,5 per cent) showed exceptional growth in Russia.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ŠKODA posted above-average growth in other major growth markets: in China the brand sold about 17,100 cars in February 2012, advancing 19 per cent year-on-year. At plus 40.9 per cent and plus 27.7 per cent respectively, ŠKODA Fabia and Octavia were especially popular in China.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The brand proved even more dynamic in Indien, with ŠKODA selling more than 3,500 cars on the subcontinent in February. This is equivalent to a 48,6 per cent growth as against February 2011. ŠKODA’s new Rapid compact saloon accounted for more than half of sales in India. The Rapid has been designed especially with Indian customers’ needs in mind and has central importance for the brand’s growth strategy on the Indian market.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Other foreign markets also posted strong growth: Sales in Egypt were up more than 500 per cent year-on-year to almost 700 ŠKODA cars. At 138.2 per cent, the brand’s advance in Australia was also outstanding.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ŠKODA deliveries to customers in February 2012 (in units; +/- in per cent year-on-year):</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ŠKODA Octavia (33,300; +17.2 %)</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ŠKODA Fabia (19,800; +2.6 %)</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ŠKODA Superb (7,500; -12.5 %)</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ŠKODA Yeti (6,200; +29.2 %)</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ŠKODA Roomster (2,900; +8.6 %)</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ŠKODA Rapid (sold in India only: 2,000; new model, no comparative figure available)</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ŠKODA Citigo (sold in Czech Republic only: 400; new model, no comparative figure available)</span><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-56691606852622508052012-03-20T01:14:00.002-07:002012-03-20T01:19:56.356-07:00ŠKODA ready to win some more points in the Canary Islands<br />
<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">› Kopecký & Dresler to make their first appearance in this year´s IRC in the Canary Islands</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">› Asphalt event taking place on the island of Gran Canaria over March 15-17</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">› The list of drivers to appear on the start line includes Andreas Mikkelsen of ŠKODA UK Motorsport</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">› Up-to-the-minute news will be available on www.youtube.com/motorsportskoda</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Mladá Boleslav, 12 March, 2012 – ŠKODA is ready to confirm its calibre in the second event of this year´s IRC Championship to take place in Gran Canaria and take another step to winning its third IRC title. Jan Kopecký & Pavel Dresler of ŠKODA Motorsport (factory team) will make their first appearance in this year´s IRC series. The Canary Islands will also see reigning IRC champion Andreas Mikkelsen in a Fabia Super 2000.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ŠKODA made a perfect start to the IRC season in the opening event in the Azores where Mikkelsen in a Fabia Super 2000 won and Juho Hänninen came second.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jan Kopecký & Pavel Dresler are very much looking forward to their first appearance in the 2012 IRC: “Pavel and I can´t wait to appear in the IRC again. This championship offers top quality and exciting battles for every second, and we want to achieve the best possible result for ŠKODA”.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ŠKODA has always been successful in the Canary Islands over the past few years, winning a “double” in both 2010 and 2011. This year´s rally includes 15 stages (241 competition kilometres) and is expected to offer fierce battles as usual – last year Hänninen beat runner-up Kopecky by just 1.5 seconds.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The start list includes last year´s IRC champion and the winner of this year´s first IRC rally Andreas Mikkelsen of ŠKODA UK Motorsport. After his successful IRC debut (fourth place in the Azores), Sepp Wiegand of ŠKODA AUTO Deutschland wants to achieve another good result. Alberto Hevia in a private Fabia Super 2000 will be on his home ground.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ŠKODA has set up a video news service for the events that ŠKODA Motorsport takes part in. Highlights and interviews with drivers and other team members will be available on www.youtube.com/motorsportskoda .</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-35879323682703647902012-03-13T01:22:00.002-07:002012-03-13T01:23:36.250-07:00ŠKODA ready to win some more points in the Canary Islands<br />
<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">› Kopecký & Dresler to make their first appearance in this year´s IRC in the Canary Islands</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">› Asphalt event taking place on the island of Gran Canaria over March 15-17</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">› The list of drivers to appear on the start line includes Andreas Mikkelsen of ŠKODA UK Motorsport</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">› Up-to-the-minute news will be available on www.youtube.com/motorsportskoda</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mladá Boleslav, 12 March, 2012 – ŠKODA is ready to confirm its calibre in the second event of this year´s IRC Championship to take place in Gran Canaria and take another step to winning its third IRC title. Jan Kopecký & Pavel Dresler of ŠKODA Motorsport (factory team) will make their first appearance in this year´s IRC series. The Canary Islands will also see reigning IRC champion Andreas Mikkelsen in a Fabia Super 2000.</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ŠKODA made a perfect start to the IRC season in the opening event in the Azores where Mikkelsen in a Fabia Super 2000 won and Juho Hänninen came second.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jan Kopecký & Pavel Dresler are very much looking forward to their first appearance in the 2012 IRC: “Pavel and I can´t wait to appear in the IRC again. This championship offers top quality and exciting battles for every second, and we want to achieve the best possible result for ŠKODA”.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ŠKODA has always been successful in the Canary Islands over the past few years, winning a “double” in both 2010 and 2011. This year´s rally includes 15 stages (241 competition kilometres) and is expected to offer fierce battles as usual – last year Hänninen beat runner-up Kopecky by just 1.5 seconds.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The start list includes last year´s IRC champion and the winner of this year´s first IRC rally Andreas Mikkelsen of ŠKODA UK Motorsport. After his successful IRC debut (fourth place in the Azores), Sepp Wiegand of ŠKODA AUTO Deutschland wants to achieve another good result. Alberto Hevia in a private Fabia Super 2000 will be on his home ground.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ŠKODA has set up a video news service for the events that ŠKODA Motorsport takes part in. Highlights and interviews with drivers and other team members will be available on www.youtube.com/motorsportskoda .</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-58142599920482889492012-03-07T12:01:00.003-08:002012-03-08T05:06:34.512-08:00A great show: Citigo meets ‘Tiësto’<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mDUHUQ2s3lFZ3O0sx3sNDwi8VeZHObEZRuXl6KBZDOQFV7qiVSiBDgspLOtfeD4eD99r7OGN4f6mNze0gNDNhGg5Ql9CaiAmhCrlItZ_zWytMUgHkZDhN3GBoJa8RQ-j4o4fGNDKUOU/s1600/_FTB5436RFL_JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mDUHUQ2s3lFZ3O0sx3sNDwi8VeZHObEZRuXl6KBZDOQFV7qiVSiBDgspLOtfeD4eD99r7OGN4f6mNze0gNDNhGg5Ql9CaiAmhCrlItZ_zWytMUgHkZDhN3GBoJa8RQ-j4o4fGNDKUOU/s200/_FTB5436RFL_JPG.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>› ŠKODA presents the Citigo and Tiësto</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>› Refreshing salon debut for the small ŠKODA at the press conference in Geneva</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>› New entry into growing subcompact segment, new customer groups targeted</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>› Attractive design endows Citigo with character</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Mladá Boleslav/Geneva, March 6th, 2012 – “Showtime!” for the new Citigo: Czech car maker ŠKODA’s innovative Citigo subcompact pulled up for its first major auto show presentation at the Geneva auto salon featuring a performance by the legendary DJ and producer, Tiësto. Under the “Meet Citigo” theme, the Citigo rolled on stage in its three- and five-door versions while a special edited version of Tiësto’s music video “What Can We Do (A Deeper Love),” produced exclusively for the Citigo, played throughout the conference. The full music video can be viewed exclusively on ŠKODA’S Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Skoda).</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">With the release of the new Citigo at the Geneva Motor Show, Tiësto and Skoda announced a partnership to find new and exciting ways to continue working together in support of car’s 2012 launch campaign. With the premier of the five door ŠKODA Citigo, ŠKODA offers a new mobile application “ŠKODA MEET app” which allows people to easily meet with their freinds, their car or ŠKODA on events in an entertaining way. The application is an integral part of the campaign introducing the Citigo and is available on Appstore and Android Market from now on.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">“Youthful, fresh and with human touch – that’s Tiësto, and that’s the Citigo,” said ŠKODA CEO Winfried Vahland. “We want the Citigo to really take off this year and to win new customer groups for our brand. This is why we are moving down new roads in our communications, too: our partnership with Tiësto fits in perfectly with our new subcompact’s positioning.” ŠKODA’s cooperation with Tiësto dates back to 2011, when the artist was featured at the ŠKODA World Dealer Conference in Prague, the brand’s largest dealer convention so far.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The 2012 Geneva Automobile Salon saw the Citigo’s world debut as a five-door version. The car will be introduced to European markets as a three- and as a five-door version. At home in the Czech Republic, the three-door version was successfully introduced in late 2011, being named “best city car” in the “2012 Car of the Year” contest right away.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The most recent addition to ŠKODA’s model palette is the brand’s entry into the quickly growing subcompact segment and plays an essential role in the company’s growth strategy. “The Citigo will continue ŠKODA model offensive in 2012 and will contribute to further growth,” said Vahland. In the first two months of 2012, ŠKODA raised global sales again, advancing by 11,6 percent to 147,505 vehicles sold seamlessly continuing its success of last year. In 2011, ŠKODA sold 879,200 cars, more than ever before in its 117-year corporate history. ŠKODA intends to continue strong growth on in year to come thanks to the Citigo and further new models. The company aims to raise global sales to at least 1.5 million per year by 2018.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">“Simply Clever” and a distinctive design</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Citigo is among the most compact yet roomiest representatives of the subcompact class. Especially noteworthy is its precise, authentic and attractive design, which endows it with a distinctive character. It is the firstŠKODA model to bear the brand’s new logo and impresses with its clear proportions, lines and surfaces. Among its ingenious features in keeping with the brand’s ‘Simply Clever’ slogan are the photo and document holder, the glove compartment’s integrated bag hook or the range of nets to hold loose objects.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Citigo is big on safety. Its exemplary safety concept won it the maximum score of five stars in the Euro NCAP crash test, together with the VW up! and the SEAT Mii.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">New three-cylinder petrol engines with a displacement of one litre and two power variants (44 kW/60 PS and 55 kW/75 PS) make the new car nimble and efficient. Its most fuel-thrifty Green tec variant consumes a mere 4,1 l/100 km. The Green tec version’s CO2-emissions are only 96 g/km.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-74603822912391882942012-03-07T11:59:00.003-08:002012-03-08T05:09:41.886-08:00ŠKODA Citigo in Geneva debut as five-door version<br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>› First appearance on fair at Volkswagen Group night</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>› Citigo is brand’s entry into growing subcompact segment</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>› Attractive design creates distinctive character</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>› ŠKODA product offensive picking up more speed in 2012</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>› Perfect start to the year: sales up 11,6 percent in first two months of 2012 </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Mladá Boleslav/Geneva, March 5th, 2012 – ŠKODA introduced its Citigo subcompact as a five-door version to a wider public for the first time as part of Volkswagen Group night at the Geneva Automobile Salon. From May 2012 ŠKODA’s most recent model will become available in European markets as a three- and as a five-door version. The Citigo is ŠKODA’s entry into the strongly growing subcompact segment, giving it an essential role in the company’s growth strategy.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">“ŠKODA’S model offensive is continuing in 2012,” said ŠKODA CEO Winfried Vahland at the Citigo’s presentation on the eve of the Geneva auto salon. “The Citigo will provide sustained strength to our favourable position in Europe and win new customer groups for our brand. Our new subcompact is a real ‘simply clever’ car: ingenious, roomy, agile and leading in technology. This makes is a young and ‘fresh’ offering of ours in a strongly growing segment,” Vahland continued. At home in the Czech Republic, the three-door version was successfully introduced into the market in late 2011 – promptly being named best subcompact as part of the ‘2012 Car of the Year’ contest.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Powered by the Citigo and other new models, ŠKODA intends to achieve significant additional growth in international markets in the years to come. Its aim is to increase global sales to at least 1.5 million by 2018. “We are on a stable growth path and have clearly raised our deliveries yet again in the first two months of 2012,” Vahland confirms. In the January-February 2012 period, worldwide sales of the brand rose 11,6 percent to 147.505 units year on year, a “perfect start to the year” according to Vahland and a seamless continuation of ŠKODA’s successful year 2011, in which the brand scored another delivery record in its currently 117-year corporate history at 879,200 units.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Citigo is among the most compact yet roomiest representatives of the subcompact class. Especially noteworthy is its precise, authentic and attractive design, which endows it with a distinctive character. It is the firstŠKODA model to bear the brand’s new logo and impresses with its clear proportions, lines and surfaces. Among its ingenious features in keeping with the brand’s ‘Simply Clever’ slogan are the photo and document holder, the glove compartment’s integrated bag hook or the range of nets to hold loose objects.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Citigo is big on safety. Its exemplary safety concept won it the maximum score of five stars in the Euro NCAP crash test, together with the VW up! and the SEAT Mii.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">New three-cylinder petrol engines with a displacement of one litre and two power variants (44 kW/60 PS and 55 kW/75 PS) make the new car nimble and efficient. Its most fuel-thrifty Green tec variant consumes a mere 4,1 l/100 km. The Green tec version’s CO2-emissions are only 96 g/km.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-88444595650591349332012-02-27T00:36:00.000-08:002012-02-27T00:50:46.193-08:00Andreas Mikkelsen In A Škoda Fabia Super 2000 Dominated The Sata Rally Acores<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> ›</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">ŠKODA scooped the first two places</span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> ›</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Reigning IRC champion Mikkelsen started his mission of defending his championship title</span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> ›</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Hänninen, last year's winner of the Sata Rally Acores, came second</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ponta Delgada, 25 February, 2012</span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"> –</span></strong><b><span lang="EN-GB"> Reigning IRC champion Andreas Mikkelsen of ŠKODA UK Motorsport made the best possible step in his effort to repeat his last year's victory in the IRC championship. In the opening event of the 2012 IRC, the Sata Rally Acores, Mikkelsen put in a brilliant performance to mark his first win in the new season and extend the streak of top-class performances he started by dominating the last two events of 2011 (Scotland and Cyprus). Juho Hänninen of ŠKODA Motorsport (factory team), last year's winner of the Sata Rally Acores, came second. Fourth place is a reason to celebrate for Sepp Wiegand of ŠKODA AUTO Deutschland who made his IRC debut in the Azores. The dominance of ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000s was sealed by Hermann Gassner jr. of Red Bull who finished fifth.</span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Taking place on Sao Miguel, the biggest of the Azores Islands, the rally was spread over three days each of which offered different conditions. Rainy weather, so typical of this island, took turns with beautiful sunny spells, and it was as early as the first stage when it became apparent that there were just two drivers in the filed to fight for the overall victory - Andreas Mikkelsen and Juho Hänninen, both in Fabia Super 2000s. One of the decisive moments of their fierce battle for every second came in Stage 4 when Hänninen did a 360 at high speed. Andreas Mikkelsen won the opening rally of the 2012 IRC and ŠKODA scooped four of the first five places.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Michal Hrabánek, Head of ŠKODA Motorsport: “ŠKODA grabbed the first two places in the opening event of the IRC to win the maximum possible number of points in the Manufacturers category – we have indeed made a good start to the new season. Much credit goes to the first two crews, but also to Sepp Wiegand & Timo Gottschalk who made a successful IRC debut.”</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Andreas Mikkelsen: “I made a great start to the new season by winning in the Azores, and I am happy for the whole team. It couldn't have been better.”</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Juho Hänninen: “We certainly wanted to repeat our last year's victory, but Andreas was simply better. We made a small mistake on Day 2 which cost us quite a few seconds that made a difference in the end. However, we have achieved the best possible result as a team and that is great”.</span></span></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-17855585954487686722012-02-27T00:35:00.000-08:002012-02-27T00:51:17.354-08:00Mikkelsen In A Fabia Remains In The Lead After Day 2 Of The Sata Rally Acores<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> ›</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Standings after Day 2: 1.Mikkelsen, 2. </span></b><b><span lang="EN-GB">Hänninen +16.2, 3. Bouffier +1:17.8</span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> ›</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Red Bull's Gassner in a private Fabia is fourth, Wiegand of ŠKODA AUTO Deutschland is fifth</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> ›</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Final leg scheduled for Saturday</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ponta Delgada, 24 February, 2012</span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"> –</span></strong><b><span lang="EN-GB"> Day 2 of the Sata Rally Acores offered another battle for the top position between two Scandinavians, Mikkelsen and Hänninen – having put in an excellent performance again, the Norwegian driver remains top with a 16.2s lead. Red Bull's Hermann Gassner is fourth, Sepp Wiegand of ŠKODA AUTO Deutschland who is making his IRC debut is fifth.</span></b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The morning part of today's programme saw the Sao Miguel island take on a typically oceanic coat – a heavy rain resulted in cancelling Stage 8 and shortening Stage 9 by nearly a half.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Commenting on the event after Day 2, Juho Hänninen says: “I made a mistake in today's second stage (360), but otherwise we kept up with Andreas all the time. Anyway, the most important thing is that ŠKODA holds first and second places before the final day”.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The opening event of the new season of the IRC ends on Saturday with five stages (85 kilometres).</span></span><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-25796190841318251312012-02-27T00:34:00.000-08:002012-02-27T00:44:51.082-08:00Azores Rally Started - Andreas Mikkelsen Takes A Lead<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">›</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">ŠKODA got off to defend the IRC manufacturers title </span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">›</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Leading positions after day one: 1.Mikkelsen, 2. Hänninen +1.4s, 3. Bouffier +21.6s</span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">›</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A total of five Fabias Super 2000 at the start</span></span></b><span lang="EN-GB"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ponta Delgada, 23 February 2012 –</span></strong><b><span lang="EN-GB"> Azores Rally started the new season of Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) championship 2012. The competition, divided into three days, offered the first three stages today. From the beginning the two frontrunners – last year’s winner of the Azores rally Juho Hänninen and the current IRC champion Andreas Mikkelsen, are fighting for the first position, both on the factory Fabia Super 2000.</span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The competition was made attractive by today’s third stage which was run as a parallel duel of pairs. In a direct duel of Nordic pilots Mikkelsen beat Hänninen by 0.2 seconds and will start the Friday section from the first position with a lead of 1.4 seconds. Sepp Wiegand of ŠKODA AUTO Deutschland team, who is fifth so far, is enjoying a very good start in its first IRC event.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Juho Hänninen of the ŠKODA Motorsport factory team has evaluated the first day of the Azores rally: “Today’s short opening showed how tight the duels with Andreas can be expected. The track was not as muddy today as it was during the tests, it was drying out, which is very unusual on this island. We are already looking forward to the next portions of kilometres. “</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The rally on Sao Miguel, the largest island of the Azores, continues on Friday with six stages in which the drivers will face 86 rough kilometres. The legendary stage in the magical surroundings of the water-flooded volcano will be run twice.</span></span><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-25035631827083358182012-02-27T00:32:00.001-08:002012-02-27T00:48:08.287-08:00Azores Rally Opens The 2012 IRC Season<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">›<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span>ŠKODA is defending its championship title in the Manufacturers category of the IRC </span></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">›<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span>The Azores Rally takes place on the Sao Miguel island over 23-25 February, 2012<span lang="EN-GB"></span></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">›<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span>Five Fabia Super 2000s to appear on the start line, including last year's winner Juho Hänninen<span lang="EN-GB"></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">›<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-GB">Sepp Wiegand of ŠKODA AUTO Deutschland to make his IRC debut</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mladá Boleslav, 20 February, 2012 –</span></strong><b><span lang="EN-GB"> Scheduled for the upcoming weekend, the Azores Rally is about to open the 2012 season of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC). After the most successful year in the 111-year history of its motorsport efforts, ŠKODA's ambition in 2012 is to win a third consecutive championship title in the Manufacturers category of the IRC. The first event of the new season will see five Fabia Super 2000s on the start line. The hottest favourites for winning the Azores Rally are its last year's winner and SWRC champion Juho Hänninen and reigning IRC champion Andreas Mikkelsen. The IRC series will offer altogether 13 events this year.</span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Commenting on the IRC series-opening event, Michal Hrabánek, Head of ŠKODA Motorsport, says: “Our goal for this season is to repeat our last year's victory in the Manufacturers category of the IRC, and we expect the drivers of the factory Fabia Super 2000s, Juho Hänninen and Jan Kopecký of ŠKODA Motorsport, as well as Andreas Mikkelsen of ŠKODA UK Motorsport, to be the key contributors to meeting this goal. We are very pleased that the ŠKODA AUTO Deutschland team has become fully involved in the Fabia Super 2000 project, thus enlarging the family of ŠKODA vehicles to appear in this attractive championship.”</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Reigning world champion Juho Hänninen can't wait to appear on the start line of the Azores Rally: “I really love this event, the local scenery is awesome, and it's gravel, my favourite surface. The nature of the track is rather different from that of other events. I will do my best to put in a good performance, because our ambition is to win the maximum possible number of points for ŠKODA.”</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">ŠKODA AUTO Deutschland's young talent Sepp Wiegand (with the experienced Timo Gottschalk as his co-driver) will make his IRC debut and his first appearance in the Azores. Private Fabia Super 2000s to appear in the Azores will be driven by Red Bull's Hermann Gassner (with the enormously experienced Klaus Wicha) and Rashid Al Ketbi of the Skydive Dubai Rally Team (with Khalid Al Kendi).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">The biggest of the Azores Islands, Sao Miguel, is the most distant venue of this year's IRC series</span><span lang="EN-GB">. Taking place in beautiful scenery, the event is made up of 14 special stages (198 kilometres in total), including the legendary stage around the rim of a flooded volcano.</span></span><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-50548980887897892682012-02-20T00:58:00.001-08:002012-02-20T00:58:46.637-08:00ŠKODA Grows In Russia<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">› New training center opened at GAZ in Nizhny Novgorod<br />› Cooperation with the partner GAZ strengthening the position of the Czech brand on the Russian market<br />› Russia playing a key role for the ŠKODA Growth Strategy 2018<br />› Third-largest market for ŠKODA vehicles<br />› In 2011, 74,000 ŠKODA vehicles were delivered to Russian customers</span></strong></span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mladá Boleslav/Nizhny Novgorod, February 17th</span></span></strong><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>, 2012 – Besides the ongoing manufacture of ŠKODA vehicles at the Russian plant of the Volkswagen Group in Kaluga, the production of other ŠKODA vehicles is currently being increased at the Russian partner GAZ in Nizhny Novgorod. “We see a great growth potential for ŠKODA in Russia, which is why we need additional production capacities,” Prof. Dr. h. c. Winfried Vahland, the chairman of the board of ŠKODA, said at the occasion of the opening of a new training center at the Russian partner GAZ.<a name='more'></a></strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">In the first month of the year, the Skoda’s sales figures in Russia have already risen 42 percent and are thus increasing twice as fast as the overall car market. Within the course of the global Growth Strategy 2018, ŠKODA requires additional capacities in Russia. “For our Growth Strategy 2018, the Russian Federation is of particular significance. Russia is already our third-largest market today. Our plans are ambitious: The successes with our Russian customers confirm that we are offering the right products,” said Vahland. </span></div>
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For ŠKODA, GAZ is an important and stable partner who possesses the necessary know-how and highly qualified employees. At the GAZ plant in Nizhny Novgorod, the ŠKODA Yeti, among others, is built for the Russian market. Its manufacture was already started in October 2011. </div>
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“Consistent quality all over the world is the basis for the success of our vehicles in the market. Therefore, the thorough training of our employees is particularly important at all locations. With the training center at GAZ in Nizhny Novgorod, we have the best prerequisites for a consistent quality management at this site,” adds Vahland. </div>
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The agreement with GAZ regarding the production of vehicles for the ŠKODA and Volkswagen brands in Nizhny Novgorod covers a total volume of up to 110,000 units. Together with the production in Kaluga, the local capacity thus rises to a maximum of 350,000 automobiles per year. Vehicle sales in Russia are being carried out by 120 ŠKODA dealers; their number is scheduled to double in the coming years. </div>
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Cars adorned with the winged arrow on the hood are a regular element of Russian street scenes. A look at the sales statistics confirms the popularity of the current models Fabia, <span style="font-family: Verdana, 'Arial CE', Arial, 'Helvetica CE', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Roomster, Octavia, Yeti and Superb. In 2011, demand for ŠKODA models grew at an above-average rate of more than 60%. </span></span></div>
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Overall, 74,000 customer took possession of new ŠKODA vehicles in Russia in 2011. About half of these customers selected models produced domestically, such as the Octavia or the Fabia, both of which are being assembled in Kaluga. They are complemented by the SUV Yeti, which is built at the partner plant at GAZ in Nizhny Novgorod.</div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-17543285830439059552012-02-13T01:14:00.002-08:002012-02-13T01:14:48.803-08:002012 Off To Promising Start For ŠKODA<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mladá Boleslav, February 10th, 2012 – ŠKODA is continuing on its growth course in early 2012. Worldwide sales of this long-established Czech carmaker rose 10.2 percent year on year in January 2012 to 75,400 units. This is also the best January figure in ŠKODA’s 117-year corporate history.</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Despite a shrinking global market, ŠKODA raised its global share significantly to a total of 1.58 percent. The brand posted high growth rates especially in some of the markets in Western, Central and Eastern Europe. </span><span lang="EN-GB">However, ŠKODA also made headway in Asian markets even though some of them shrank in January 2012.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Following record sales of 879,200 in 2011, ŠKODA has maintained its swift pace on the markets in the first month of the new year. The January figures are an early indicator that ŠKODA is set to continue on its growth path in 2012: 75,400 deliveries to customers represent a new high for January in ŠKODA’s corporate history. The company is aiming for more sales growth in 2012. “We achieved a lightning start and grew further in all sales regions in January. This was a perfect pickup and one that creates the basis for us for more growth this year,” is how </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Jürgen Stackmann, <span style="text-transform: uppercase;">ŠKODA BOARD</span> member for sales and marketing sums things up.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">The new record figure is equivalent to a 10.2 percent year-on-year increase. “The </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">ŠKODA brand has got a good momentum. Our model offensive will really start rolling this year. We are continuing on the course of our 2018 growth strategy,” says Stackmann.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">ŠKODA showed especial strength in <b>Western Europe</b>’s intensely competitive markets. Deliveries to customers in the region rose by 10.8 percent to 29,300 units in January 2012. This compares with 26,400 units delivered in January 2011. ŠKODA thus raised its market share significantly in Western Europe: by almost to 21 percent to a current 3,11 percent. In Switzerland for instance, sales rose by 46.2 percent to almost units, lifting ŠKODA to number two nationwide. In Germany, ŠKODA’s sales increased by 23.2 percent to more than 8,900 units, in Austria by 33.9 percent to over 2,000 units. At plus 30.6 percent, 24.0 percent and 19.5 percent in deliveries respectively, the Yeti, Octavia and Roomster were especially popular in Western Europe.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">ŠKODA also posted further increases in growth markets <b>China</b> and<b> India</b>: sales in China, where the market shrank in January 2012 due to this year’s early Chinese New Year celebrations, still rose by one percent to reach 20,800 units. In India, ŠKODA’s sales advanced by 6.7 percent to more than 3,000 units, while the overall market on the subcontinent declined by more than ten percent in January 2012. In addition, the Rapid, the new Indian compact saloon had an excellent start to the year with more than 1,500 new Rapid customers in India taking delivery of their cars in January 2012 alone</span><span lang="EN-GB">.</span><span lang="EN-GB"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">January sales were up in <b>Eastern Central Europe</b>: </span><span lang="EN-GB">ŠKODA sold 10,200 units, about 2.5 percent more than in </span><span lang="EN-GB">January 2011. In the Czech Republic, its home market ŠKODA’s sales came in at a stable 4,148 units, with the new Citigo subcompact achieving an excellent debut at home, defending its number one position in the minicar segment in January 2012. In addition, ŠKODA posted double-digit growth in Slovakia at 24.5 percent and in Hungary at 13.5 percent.</span><span lang="EN-GB"></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Among the largest percentage wins recorded by ŠKODA in January 2012 were in <b>Eastern Europe</b>, where more than 7,700 deliveries translate into a plus of 44.5 percent as against 5,400 units in January 2011. The lion’s share was provided by<b>Russia, </b>with 4,800 deliveries amounting to a 41.7 growth against January 2011’s 3,400 vehicles. ŠKODA thus grew twice as fast as Russia’s market overall, which posted a plus of 20,1 percent. At 2,775 units, the Octavia was ŠKODA’s most popular model in Russia. The Yeti powered ahead 230.1 percent to 538 units. ŠKODA also recorded strong growth in Ukraine: almost 1,300 cars sold there mean sales increased by almost 120 percent.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">ŠKODA’s sales also developed favourably in other international markets in January 2012. Examples include Egypt, up 84 percent year on year, Israel, up 52 percent and Australia, up 39 percent.</span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">ŠKODA models delivered to customers in January 2012 (in units; +/- in percent year on year)</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">:</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Octavia (34,200; +14.6%),</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Fabia (20,000; +0.1%),</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Superb (9,500; -11.2%),</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Rapid (in India only</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">: 1,500; new model, no comparative figures available),</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Citigo (in Czech Republic only</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">: 253; new model, no comparative figures available).</span></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-21737583680283403912012-02-08T01:19:00.003-08:002012-02-08T01:28:10.955-08:00ŠKODA Octavia Green E Line: E-Mobility Under Everyday Conditions<br />
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<strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mladá Boleslav, February 3<sup>nd</sup>, 2012 – ŠKODA is engaged in intensive tests of its electric vehicle fleet based on ten ŠKODA Octavia Green E Line introduced recently. The current phase is all about new findings in operations under everyday conditions. ŠKODA has begun operating one of the Green E Line cars at Prague airport.</span></span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Everyday operating data will be especially important for fine-tuning the electric cars. These are to be delivered to selected partners in late March 2012 as a next step. “We are currently putting our fleet through its paces, because what we will want to be handing over to drivers is perfectly tuned cars. And we are not treating test cars any differently than we would series production ones,” says </span></strong><span lang="EN-GB">Petr Kristl, head of electromobility/electric traction development at ŠKODA AUTO. “Before we deliver the cars to our partners a few weeks from now, we want to make sure that everyday operation of our Octavia Green E Lines is a breeze. One of the challenges, for instance, is commuting to work regularly or non-uniform urban driving</span><span lang="EN-US">,” he adds.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The ten Octavia Green E Lines making up the test fleet are to provide ŠKODA with important customer-relevant insight regarding future development of electric traction all the way to series production readiness. This might involve solutions for usage or designing new functions, positioning the charging socket or the issue of how electric cars, being quiet by design, might make themselves heard in traffic.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Testing involves three phases: the first and the second, which is currently ongoing, mainly comprises internal testing at Škoda Auto such as trials of the online diagnosis communications system or supporting customer operation, which is a complex matter. In the third phase, set to begin in late March 2012, e-vehicles will be made available to external partners such as utilities, educational institutions or government agencies.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Green E Line</span></strong><span lang="EN-GB"> electric cars are based on the ŠKODA Octavia Combi, which is ideally suited to be fitted with the batteries, electronic controllers and the electric motor thanks to its modular design. ‘Green E Liner’ engines put out a maximum power of 85 kW with the benefit of their maximum torque of 270 Nm being available immediately, that is to say from standstill. Accelerating an Octavia Green E Line from 0 to 100 kph, will take only 12 seconds, to speed in these electric cars is 135 kph. A range of 150 kilometers means ŠKODA’s test fleet can meet the needs of most European commuters.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">ŠKODA’s activities in electric mobility are an important element of this Czech carmakers’s drive and fuel strategy. Mid-term, ŠKODA expects cars to run on a mix of different traction options. This also includes ongoing optimisation of high-efficiency TDI and TSI engines and their transmissions.</span></span></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-55859054081892617972012-02-08T01:19:00.001-08:002012-02-08T01:29:10.004-08:00Jan Kopecký Wins 2011 Sportbest Award<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">›</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">ŠKODA Motorsport's driver won Sportbest as part of the 2011 Autobest awards</span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">›</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Three time IRC Vice_Champion received honours for excellent rallying performances</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mladá Boleslav, 2 February, 2012 – </span></strong><b><span lang="EN-GB">Jan Kopecký of ŠKODA Motorsport (factory team) has been awarded the 2011 Sportbest from Autobest, a renowned international organisation. Three time IRC Vice_Champion, the Czech rally driver received the honour for his long-standing excellence in motorsport.</span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The 2011 Sportbest is Kopecký's second prestigious award within a short span of time after the Golden Steering Wheel he won in his homeland, the Czech Republic, two weeks ago.<b></b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">According to the jury, the decisive criterion was Kopecký's long-standing excellence in rallying, particularly in the IRC championship where ŠKODA Motorsport's driver was Vice_ Champion in three consecutive years (over 2009-2011) and helped ŠKODA achieve two victories in the Manufacturers category (2010 and 2011). 2011 was the most successful year in the 111-year history of ŠKODA's motorsport efforts.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“I feel very honoured to have won the Sportbest award, because it is a prestigious award given by an experienced, expert jury,” said Kopecký and went on to say: “I would like to thank ŠKODA for excellent cooperation, because my performances would be nowhere near where they are without the top-class support I am getting from the ŠKODA Motorsport team”.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Autobest is one of Europe's most prestigious awards in the automotive industry. Made up of motoring journalists from 15 countries in Central and Eastern Europe, the jury selects the best individuals, vehicles and companies.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jan Kopecký remains a member of ŠKODA Motorsport in 2012, and the team's goal is to achieve a third consecutive victory in the Manufacturers´category of the IRC. In addition to that, the Czech driver is taking part in the Czech Rally Championship with a Fabia Super 2000. In January Kopecký won the first event of this season, the Jänner Rally in Austria, thus contributing to ŠKODA's first double in 2012, as his team-mate Juho Hänninen finished second.</span></span></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-22558266100414041482012-02-08T01:18:00.001-08:002012-02-08T01:18:28.950-08:00ŠKODA Shows Off Unique Classics In Paris<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mladá Boleslav, February 1<sup>st</sup>, 2012– </span></strong><b><span lang="EN-GB">At the prestigious ‘Salon Retro Mobile’ held in Paris from February 1<sup>st</sup> to 5<sup>th</sup>, 2012, precious exhibits from the ŠKODA Auto Museum are on display. The limelight at Paris’ Porte de Versailles fairground will be on five historic ŠKODA cars, a motorcycle and a racing bicycle.</span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Being one of the oldest and most tradition-proud car manufacturers in the world, ŠKODA could not be missing at one of the world’s most renowned shows of vintage vehicles. As befits a company with a 117-year history, ŠKODA has returned to Paris with a selection of historic vehicles.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The oldest and also one of the most valuable ŠKODA exhibits is the Hispano Suiza ŠKODA from 1928, powered by a six-cylinder inline engine with a displacement of 6.654 cu cm putting out 100 hp.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Representing ŠKODA’s pre-World War II production are no less than three of the cars on show in hall 3: there is the elegantly aerodynamic ŠKODA Popular Monte Carlo and ŠKODA Rapid II, which sports a one-of-a-kind body made to the original customer’s order, and features the unique ‘Kottal’ electromagnetic transmission. Both cars have a four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 1,386 cu cm and a rated power output of 30 hp. Both, incidentally, were built in 1937. The third car from the 1930s is the majestic ŠKODA Superb 3000 OHV (type 924). Produced in 1939, it has a six-cylinder inline engine like the Hispano Suiza ŠKODA but with a mere 3,137 cu cm<sup> </sup>of displacement. The ŠKODA Superb 3000 OHV’s puts out 85 hp.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">One exhibit is something of a “youngtimer”, having been built in 1961: ŠKODA Felicia (type 994). Its 1,089 cu cm<sup> </sup>engine generates 50 hp. Completing this little selection of historic automobiles from the collection of the ŠKODA Auto Museum is a Laurin & Klement CCD type motorcycle dating back to 1906. Only 675 were made at the time. Also on display is the Laurin & Klement Slavia racing bicycle, which was reconstructed from valuable historic original part. This vehicle’s history harks back to the year 1900.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This year’s exhibits are all different from last year’s, which included the legendary 1906 Voiturette A von 1906 or the 1958 ŠKODA 1100 OHC racing car. Thus, visitors will get to know yet more attractions from ŠKODA’s precious collection.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“The ‘Salon Retro Mobile’ is a prestigious and important event, which is why we took great care in selecting the vehicles to be shown. We hope that we will be able to introduce visitors to yet another part of our corporate history this year, and to one that is just as interesting as the ones we previously featured,” says Eva Ticová, head of Škoda Auto Museum’s restoration workshop.</span><a href="" name="_GoBack" style="color: #002672; text-decoration: none !important;"></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The ‘Salon Retro Mobile’ has been welcoming lovers of vintage cars for 37 years. In 2012, the show’s area has been expanded to three halls for the first time in order to house the more than 350 exhibitors. Organisers expect a total of 90,000 visitors from all over the world during the five days <b>from February 1<sup>st</sup> to the 5<sup>th</sup>, 2012</b>.</span></span></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-40005221578039579942012-01-31T01:07:00.000-08:002012-01-31T01:07:02.599-08:00ŠKODA Celebrates: 14 Million Vehicles Produced<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">›</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jubilee car a Superb of the ‘Laurin & Klement’ special edition</span></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">›</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Impressive growth course of the ŠKODA brand</span></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">›</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Model offensive and further capacity expansion in international markets under way</span></span></h2>
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<strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mladá Boleslav/Kvasiny, January 30, 2012 – ŠKODA has produced its 14-millionth car: The jubilee vehicle – a Superb 2.0 TDI of the ‘Laurin & Klement’ special edition – rolled off the assembly line at the Czech plant at Kvasiny today. The vehicle painted in the color ‘magnetic brown metallic’ is designated for delivery to a German customer. The production jubilee is another milestone for the sustained growth of the automobile manufacturer. Until 2018, ŠKODA wants to increase its worldwide sales to at least 1.5 million units per year. With a total of 879,200 units in 2011, the company sold more cars then ever in its 117-year history.</span></span></strong></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“This jubilee is an impressive expression of our growth strategy,” says ŠKODA chairman of the board, Prof. Dr. h.c. Winfried Vahland. “We are expanding at a high speed. Almost two thirds of the 14 million cars built by the company were produced and sold in the past 20 years, four million of which were produced in the past 5 years alone.” The current milestone illustrates the very dynamic development of the brand and, at the same time, points toward the great significance of its affiliation with the Volkswagen Group in the year 1991. “We thank the entire ŠKODA team, which has made this development possible and which can rightly be proud of its achievement,” emphasizes Vahland.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US">In the coming years, the Czech manufacturer wants to continue to expand within the framework of its comprehensive growth strategy. “14 million produced cars are an incentive for us to raise the speed of growth once more” stresses</span><span lang="EN-US"> Michael Oeljeklaus, the ŠKODA board member for Production and Logistics</span><span lang="EN-US">. Until the year 2018, annual ŠKODA sales are to increase to at least 1.5 million units. To accomplish this goal, ŠKODA began the largest model offensive of its history last year. With the small car Citigo and the compact sedan Rapid sold in India, the sixth and seventh model series already celebrated their sales premieres at the end of 2011. In the coming years, ŠKODA wants to introduce an average of one new model in the market every six months.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">For this purpose, the manufacturer is increasing capacities in its three Czech, as well as in the international plants. In the main factory at Mladá Boleslav, the production capacity for the Octavia and new ŠKODA car is increased from 800 to 1,200 vehicles per day. At the plant in the Northern Bohemian town of Vrchlabí, ŠKODA focuses on the manufacture of the direct shift gearbox DQ 200 for the entire Volkswagen Group. At the plant in Kvasiny, production capacities for the compact SUV Yeti were enhanced. A doubling of the capacity to a total of 100,000 Yeti vehicles per year was realized for the Kvasiny site in 2011.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">At the same time, ŠKODA continues the consistent internationalization of the brand, particularly focusing on strong growth in the emerging markets of China, Russia and India. Starting at the end of 2012, the compact SUV Yeti will be produced in China in cooperation with Shanghai Volkswagen. Moreover, the brand will commence production of a new compact sedan in China at the beginning of 2013. In Russia, a second production site following the one in Kaluga has been in operation since 2011; it builds the Yeti that is sold in the Russian market. This joint project with Volkswagen and the Russian GAZ Group is located in Nizhniy Novgorod. In India, capacities are growing as well. Thus, the new compact sedan Rapid has been built in Pune since 2011.</span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Milestones of the car manufacture at ŠKODA AUTO:</span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">-</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">January 30, 2012: 14 million automobiles since 1905</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">-</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">December 2011: 1.5 million vehicles of the Octavia II type</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">-</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">October 12, 2011: 10-millionth automobile produced at the plant in Mladá Boleslav</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">-</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">September 2, 2011: 4-millionth MQ200 gearbox built at the plant in Mladá Boleslav</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">-</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">April 8, 2009: 12 million automobiles since 1905</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">-</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">July 13, 2006: 10 million automobiles since 1905 (5 million of which were manufactured since the entry of VW in the year 1991)</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">-</span><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1991: 5 million automobiles since 1905</span></span></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-78476638502729605472012-01-30T04:51:00.001-08:002012-01-30T04:57:24.328-08:00World Debut For Five-Door ŠKODA Citigo<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana, 'Arial CE', Arial, 'Helvetica CE', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-weight: bold;"> ›</span><span style="font-size: 9px;"> </span></span><b style="font-family: Verdana, 'Arial CE', Arial, 'Helvetica CE', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Model line extended into new market segments</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mladá Boleslav, January 30th, 2012 – </span></strong><b><span lang="EN-GB">ŠKODA will present the new Citigo subcompact to the public as a five-door version for the first time at the Geneva Auto Salon in early 2012. Media representatives will be offered a preview of the new ŠKODA including test drives in February 2012</span></b><b><span lang="EN-GB">. The five-door version will be successively launched in European markets together with the three-door version from mid-May 2012.</span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Citigo represents ŠKODA’s entry into the fast growing subcompact segment. The new model was successfully introduced in its home market, the Czech Republic, in late 2011. From this year, the Citigo is to conquer wholly new customer groups for ŠKODA, thus contributing to the brand’s Growth Strategy. ŠKODA aims to increase its worldwide deliveries to a minimum of 1.5 million units a year by 2018. In 2011, the company achieved yet another sales record in its 117-year corporate history, selling 879,200 units.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Citigo ranks among the most compact and at the same time among the roomiest representatives of its segment. In keeping with the brand’s ‘Simply Clever’ claim, the car impresses with a number of ingenious features such as a photo and document holder, a bag hook on the glove compartment, a range of net holders and the new Citigo’s many storage options.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">The Citigo’s designers placed great emphasis on safety, winning the car the top score of five stars in the Euro NCAP crash test together with the Volkswagen up! and SEA</span><span lang="EN-US">T Mii. </span><span lang="EN-GB">And another premiere: the new city car is also the first ŠKODA model ever to sport the brand’s new logo.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Powering the Citigo is a three-cylinder petrol engine with one litre of displacement in two versions with 44 kW/60 hp or 55 kW/75 hp. In its most efficient Green tec variant, the new Citigo achieves a mileage of 4.1 l/100 km, CO<sub>2</sub> emissions in the new ŠKODA model amount to just 96 g CO<sub>2</sub>/km.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 9pt;">At its home market the smallest member of ŠKODA family has recently become the Best City Car in the largest Czech automobile poll, the Car of the Year 2012.</span></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-52139463892733735042012-01-30T04:50:00.001-08:002012-01-30T04:51:57.783-08:00Juho Hänninen To Be The Main Attraction At The Racingshow<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mladá Boleslav, 27 January, 2012 – </span></strong><b><span lang="EN-GB">Reigning SWRC World Champion Juho Hänninen of ŠKODA Motorsport (factory team) will be the main star at the Racingshow, a major motorsport trade fair to take place in Vienna, Austria over the upcoming weekend. The event programme includes a public discussion on rallying for fans and experts from Austria and the Czech Republic. ŠKODA will showcase its successful Fabia Super 2000.</span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Juho Hänninen was a guest at the Racingshow two years ago and, as he says, both he and the whole ŠKODA Motorsport team have made a big leap forward ever since, gaining loads of experience and making numerous achievements: “When I was here for the first time in 2010, I could not know how successful our cooperation would actually be. We have won the Manufacturers category of the IRC twice and, together with my co-driver Mikko Markkula, one IRC title in the Drivers category. In addition to that, we have made one big dream come true for both us and ŠKODA by winning the SWRC world championship title”, says the reigning champion and goes on to say: “I am glad to be part of this great team and the ŠKODA brand, and I am looking forward to this season in the ŠKODA Motorsport team – we have many new challenges ahead of us this year”.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">As one of the key items, the Racingshow programme includes a public discussion on rallying to be attended by some big names of this popular sport from Austria and the Czech Republic. The main attraction for fans is Juho Hänninen whose performance is scheduled for Sunday, 29 January, 1:15 PM.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">ŠKODA Motorsport made its first competition appearance this year at the Jänner Rally in January and had a reason to celebrate - Kopecký & Dresler won, Hänninen & Markkula came second.</span></span></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-36877386445598763002012-01-30T04:49:00.001-08:002012-01-30T04:52:37.567-08:00ŠKODA Superb Wins ‘2012 Best Car’ Reader Poll<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">›<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;">ŠKODA flagship defends previous year’s title</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;"></span></h2>
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<strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Weiterstadt/Mladá Boleslav, January 26th, 2012 – No less than four ŠKODA-models made it onto the podium this year at <i>auto motor und sport </i>(<i>ams</i>), Germany’s renowned car magazine’s ‘Die Besten Autos 2012’ reader poll. The ŠKODA Superb came tops in readers’ votes. However, bestseller the ŠKODA Octavia, ŠKODA Roomster and ŠKODA Fabia each achieved second place among the imports in the compacts, vans and subcompacts categories, respectively.</span></span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At over 22 percent of votes cast, the time-honoured Czech brand’s flagship clearly made the top spot among middle-segment import cars. This vote by <i>ams</i>readers has the Superb * effectively outpacing its competitors and also defending its victory from the previous year.</span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Three other popular ŠKODA models scored second place, contributing to the brand’s great result. </span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bestseller the ŠKODA Octavia * captured silver in the compacts/imports class. Kompaktklasse/Importe. In the subcompacts categors, the Fabia * also became imports vice champion. Thus, these two ŠKODA models both confirmed their rankings from last year. The ŠKODA Roomster * also scored second in 2012 in the vans/imports category, improving its previous year’s score by one notch.</span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“We are delighted at these awards,” said Winfried Vahland, ŠKODA CEO, about the awards ceremony in Stuttgart, Germany. “ams’ readers’ decision is a great honour for us. And it is an incentive for us to continue building on our time-honoured ŠKODA brand values in our current model offensive. Our automobiles are about clever and practical solutions with modern, environment-friendly technology at an equitable price. This will continue to be so in the future. Our plan is to win over many more people for ŠKODA in Germany from early summer of 2012 with our new Citigo subcompact. As part of our m</span></strong><span lang="EN-GB">odel offensive, we will be introducing a new <strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ŠKODA</span></strong> model every six months on average over the coming year<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">,” he added.</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"></span></strong></span></span></div>
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<strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Today was the 36<sup>th</sup> time ams magazine, based in Stuttgart, handed out the coveted awards. This year, over 116,000 readers selected their favourites in the ten classes of the overall and imports ranking.</span></span></strong></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-49007675885785810732012-01-25T23:42:00.000-08:002012-01-25T23:43:56.479-08:00ŠKODA Ever More Attractive As An Employer<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 8.5pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: -8.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">›</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 7.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">NEW RECORD: MORE THAN 1,650 NEW JOBS CREATED IN
2011</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">›</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 7.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">PERMANENT STAFF: 25,800 EMPLOYEES FROM 37 NATIONS
WORKING AT ŠKODA AS PER DECEMBER 31<sup>ST</sup>, 2011</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">›</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 7.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">OVER 21,000 APPLICATIONS RECEIVED DURING THE PAST
YEAR</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">›</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 7.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">HUMAN RESOURCES AN IMPORTANT
PILLAR OF THE ŠKODA GROWTH STRATEGY</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">Mladá Boleslav, January 25<sup>th</sup>,
2012 – ŠKODA is becoming ever more attractive as an employer and continues to
bet on the growth of its staff. In 2011, the total headcount of permanent staff
grew eight percent to 25,800 employees – a record. With this development, the
composition of the personnel is becoming more international: At the current
time, people from 37 nations work for the Czech automobile manufacturer.</span></b></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">“The year of
2011 was a new record year – not just for our sales, but for our headcount as
well. Never before did the company hire so many new employees and employ as
many people as in 2011,” says the ŠKODA board member for human resources,
Bohdan Wojnar. “This development is an expression of our Growth Strategy ŠKODA.
We want to continue to expand significantly in the coming years and to increase
our worldwide sales to at least 1.5 million vehicles per year. In order to
achieve this goal, we need a strong team that is well staffed at every position
and across all areas – from the design to the production departments. For that
purpose, we are investing heavily in the qualification of the existing team and
are recruiting new talent,” Bohdan Wojnar further explains.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">Proving ŠKODA’s growing
attractiveness for external job applicants is the figure of over 21,000
applications that were received in 2011. It also shows the growing
internationalization of the company: those applicants came from 24 nations.</span></b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">The brand is increasingly
exploring new strategies regarding the recruitment of new employees: Thus,
ŠKODA launched a creative animated video via Facebook titled </span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">‘</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">Curriculum Vitae’. In a particularly vivid and
emotional manner, the film shows the many opportunities for development at
ŠKODA. For this measure, the company was even awarded the renowned ‘German
Advertising Film Award 2011’ and won the ‘OttoCar 2011’ award as the best
‘Corporate Video’.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">Besides gaining
new employees, ŠKODA is also strengthening ongoing measures for the development
of its personnel: In the past twelve months alone, almost 3,600 professional
training courses with approximately 80,000 participants were held. Furthermore,
the exemplary social policy of the company makes an important contribution
toward the high satisfaction of its employees. “ŠKODA’s social policy even
exceeds the framework of the legal requirements,” emphasizes Bohdan Wojnar.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><br clear="all" style="page-break-before: always;" />
</span>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">ŠKODA also
supports the innovative potential of the employees. During the past year,
personnel accounted for more than 11,000 improvement suggestions within the
framework of the </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">programme Z</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">.E.B.R.A., leading to savings of around 305 million
Czech crowns. Once implemented, improvement suggestions leading to savings also
pay off for employees as they participate in their success.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">In order to
secure young talented employees, ŠKODA has placed a particular focus on the
education: At the current time, almost 900 apprentices are preparing for their
future job in the corporate vocational school. The ŠKODA Auto University in
Mladá Boleslav is also visited by more than 900 students.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">ŠKODA is also
increasingly active internationally. Thus, the company collaborates with
various domestic and foreign universities. The latest example is the
cooperation with the Chinese Tongji University in Shanghai. The collaboration
supports </span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">academic research as well as promoting talent at the university.</span></b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">Important personnel figures of ŠKODA in the year 2011:</span></b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">›</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">More than 1,650 new hires</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">›</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">ŠKODA employees – a total of 25,800 employees from 37
countries;</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">›</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">Over 21,000 job applications;</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">›</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">New employees from 24 countries;</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">›</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">More than 1,800 students and apprentices visit ŠKODA’s
vocational school and the ŠKODA Auto University;</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">›</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">11,241 improvement ideas by employees; savings
realized: 305 million CZK.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">Awards for the ŠKODA Human Resources Department in
2011:</span></b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">›</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"> </span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">For the project ‘Protected Workshops’ by ŠKODA:</span></b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">o</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"> </span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">Employer of the Year: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">1<sup>st</sup> place in the category ‘Jobs
Without Barriers’</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">o</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"> </span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">‘The Most Responsible Companies’:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"> 1<sup>st</sup> place in the category
‘Socially Valuable Projects’</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">›</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"> </span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">For the recruiting campaign ‘Curriculum Vitae’:</span></b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">o</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"> </span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">‘OttoCar 2011’: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">Best Corporate Video</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">o</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"> </span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">‘German Advertising Film Award 2011’: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">Best Animated Film</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">›</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"> </span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">For the HR information systems:</span></b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">o</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 7.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;">Award for a project for the electronic recording of
time worked</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: RO;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-15475361988995004032012-01-24T01:18:00.000-08:002012-01-24T01:19:26.469-08:00ŠKODA In Qatar: The Model Initiative Continues<div class="taPerex" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: left;">
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">›<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">ŠKODA MissionL displayed outside Europe forthe first time</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">›<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Study shows design of new compact saloon and brand itself</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">›<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">ŠKODA model offensive continues</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">›<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Sales record in 2011: 879,200 cars delivered, an increase of 15.3 percent</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">›<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Compact saloon will be also available in Qatar</span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Mladá Boleslav, January 23<sup>rd</sup>, 2012 – Czech car maker ŠKODA’s appearance at the 2012 Qatar Motor Show is framed by the brand’s international growth strategy. MissionL, a close-to-series-study, ŠKODA provides the State’s audience with a detailed preview of its new compact saloon. At the same time, the concept car is an ambassador of the new ŠKODA design and on display outside Europe for the first time.</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">The new compact saloon will be introduced in major international markets in 2012 and will play a central role in ŠKODA’s model offensive. Furthermore, it will extend the model range of the brand with a new segment between the existing ŠKODA models Fabia and Octavia. The new compact saloon’s market launch is also planned for Qatar.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">ŠKODA aims to substantially increase global sales of all models to at least 1.5 million units per year by 2018. ŠKODA sales rose by 15 per cent in 2011 to reach a new record level of 879,200 cars. “2011 was a very important year for us, in which we made significant achievements,” says Jürgen Stackmann, ŠKODA board member in charge of sales and marketing. </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">The model offensive is off to a successful start with the Citigo subcompact being launched in the Czech Republic and the Rapid compact saloon in India as its first instances.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">“We set new records in 2011 and we are well on course for our 2018 growth strategy 2018,” said Stackmann, speaking at the presentation of ŠKODA’s MissionL study in Qatar. The brand sold more cars in all regions than in the previous year.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Besides Europe, the markets in Russia, India and China proved especially dynamic again. “In Qatar, we have been active for ten year. To date, ŠKODA has grown into the third-largest European import brand,” said Stackmann, adding: “Strengthening our international activities is a central element of our growth strategy.” Thus, Qatar will see the introduction of the ŠKODA Yeti during 2012.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">In addition to the MissionL, ŠKODA displays with Fabia, Octavia, Yeti and Superb at the Qatar Motor Show also other models available in the local market.</span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">MissionL: Ambassador of the ŠKODA model offensive with a new design language</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">The new compact saloon will be the continuation of the manufacturer’s offensive. MissionL, a close-to-series design study, which ŠKODA’s display of in Qatar is the first outside Europe, offers a detailed preview of the appearance of this future saloon on the streets.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">The MissionL concept impresses with its clarity and precision. </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">“We gave this study a great deal of clarity and a simple and effective allotment of surfaces,” says SKODA design chief Jozef Kabaň. This creates a vigorous and athletic appearance. “Life has become so complex that many people long for simple yet precise statements. This is what MissionL’s design delivers,” says Jozef Kabaň.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Franklin Gothic Book', sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">The car’s clearly modelled surfaces and sharply drawn lines especially enhance its perfect proportions. The front shows ŠKODA’s new design. The revised and freshened ŠKODA logo is now prominently positioned on the bonnet’s rounded front end. The grille sports a chrome frame and is made up of vertical plate fins. The car’s front clearly displays the cloverleaf shape formed by the headlight ensemble.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Below the main headlights with their soberly styled double reflectors, fog lamps of almost equal size frame the grille. Blinkers and daytime running lights run as finely contoured bands along the lower edge of the main headlights. The crystalline structure of their covers is marked by sharp lines – a design theme reminiscent of Czech glass grinders and recurring in many body components as well as inside the car.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">A black-transparent glass roof spans across the study’s interior, which radiates its tidy elegance and impresses with its clear ergonomics and high functionality. The cockpit conveys spaciousness thanks to its horizontal arrangement. The control panel, seat covers and steering wheel are a bichrome white and beige and exude a youthful spirit. The door covers feature backlighted textile covers with small integrated structures reminiscent of crystal and thus transporting the theme of glass inside the car.</span></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-83547399034177813212012-01-20T00:41:00.001-08:002012-01-22T22:45:26.910-08:00ŠKODA Motorsport's Jan Kopecký Wins Golden Steering Wheel<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">›</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">IRC Vice-Champion has won this prestigious award</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">›</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Petr Starý selected as the best co-driver</span></b><span lang="EN-GB"></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">›</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Long-established survey among Czech motoring journalists and experts</span></span></b><span lang="EN-GB"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mladá Boleslav, 19 January, 2012 </span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">–</span></strong><b><span lang="EN-GB"> Jan Kopecký of ŠKODA Motorsport (factory team) has won the Rally category of the 2011 Golden Steering Wheel, a long-established survey among Czech motoring journalists and experts. After winning this award for four consecutive years, Kopecký has now won his fifth Golden Wheel. Petr Starý, Kopecký's co-driver, has been also been selected as best co-driver</span></b></span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 11pt;">.</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jan Kopecký fought for victory in last year's Intercontinental Rally Challenge until the last event but missed it by just one point, becoming the IRC Vice-Champion for the third consecutive year. By winning the Barum Rally (his home event) and in Hungary, Jan helped ŠKODA win the Manufacturers’ category of the IRC for the second year.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">ŠKODA's motorsport efforts in 2011 made it the most successful year in its history. In addition to winning both the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ categories of the IRC, the Mladá Boleslav-based carmaker won its first-ever world championship title in the SWRC.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jan Kopecký: “I feel honoured to have been selected by Czech motoring experts for this award and I am also glad to have repeated my last year's victory in the Golden Steering Wheel. This award is a token of appreciation of the hard work put in by the entire ŠKODA Motorsport team and the first-class support we are getting from the factory team”.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Made up of leading Czech motoring journalists and experts, the jury selects awardees in several categories including rally, circuits, hill climbs, auto-cross + rally cross, endurance races and go-carts. The final rounds are usually reached only by drivers who have either triumphed in national championships or achieved excellent results in international competition.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jan Kopecký is also part of the ŠKODA Motorsport team this year. The priority will be to achieve the third victory for the IRC Manufacturers’ category. Besides the IRC, Jan will also take part in the Czech Rally Championship.</span></span></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-46530129756803557322012-01-19T00:29:00.000-08:002012-01-19T00:29:44.200-08:00ŠKODA Superb Laurin & Klement gallery<div style="width:480px;text-align:right;"><embed width="480" height="360" src="http://static.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf" flashvars="rssFeed=http%3A%2F%2Ffeed267.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fii292%2Fskodaclubromania%2Fsuperb%2520lk%2Ffeed.rss" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" /><a href="http://photobucket.com/redirect/album?showShareLB=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.pbsrc.com/share/icons/embed/btn_geturs.gif" style="border:none;" /></a><a href="http://photobucket.com/skodasuperblk" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.pbsrc.com/share/icons/embed/btn_viewall.gif" style="border:none;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270600897152398804.post-76189026422590086922012-01-18T23:54:00.000-08:002012-01-18T23:54:41.215-08:00ŠKODA opens three additional training centers<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">›</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Thirteen ŠKODA training centers operating in four plants worldwide</span></span></h2>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">›</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">About 6,000 employees trained in 2011</span></span></h2>
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<strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Kvasiny, January 12<sup>th</sup>, 2011 – ŠKODA has commissioned three new training centers for the areas of logistics, car body construction and the paint shop at the plant in Kvasiny. Thus, the manufacturer has a total of thirteen such facilities for educating and training the production teams in its plant.</span></span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The investments are an important measure within the framework of the ŠKODA Growth Strategy. The manufacturer wants to increase its worldwide sales to at least 1.5 million units per year, until the year 2018, and is also enhancing the production capacities in its plants in this context.</span></strong></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“Our growth course will make high demands on our employees in the coming years,” emphasizes Michael Oeljeklaus, the ŠKODA board member for Production and Logistics. ŠKODA invested a total of 600,000 EUR in the three new training centers in Kvasiny. They did not require any new construction; instead, existing buildings and spaces were rebuilt and expanded. The training will cover almost all functions of the areas affected, from production employees, coordinators and agency personnel to master craftsmen. The emphasis of the professional training is laid on the improvement of the process capabilities.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“At all manufacturing sites, we will build considerably more cars than in the past. That requires a well-trained and qualified team perfectly mastering the manufacturing processes in every regard. The targeted professional instruction in our training centers will ensure this qualification in a sustained manner and is, therefore, an essential component in our growth strategy,” Oeljeklaus explains.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Czech automobile manufacturer has a tight network of training centers at its production locations. The three Czech plants and the Indian plant in Aurangabad have so-called, ‘lean centers,’ as well as centers for car body construction, engine production, logistics, car assembly, and paint shops. In 2011 alone, approximately 6,000 employees were trained. ŠKODA will continue its investments after the commissioning of the centers in Kvasiny. Thus, construction for the new ‘<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ŠKODA Lean Center’</span></strong> at the main plant in Mladá Boleslav began in mid-December of 2011<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. Its emphasis will be the slimming down of processes in production and administration. </span></strong>ŠKODA will invest approximately <strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5.3 million EUR in this project alone.</span></strong></span></span></div>
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