The ŠKODA Hispano-Suiza in the service of President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk

› 95 years ago today, a delivery note was issued for the first ŠKODA #hispanosuiza – the limousine of the first president of Czechoslovakia 
› #tomasgarriguemasaryk used this model as an official car from 1926 to 1936, longer than any other vehicle during his term of office
› The #hispanosuiza featured numerous cutting-edge technologies of its day: powerful OHC six-cylinder, brake booster with progressive response, top speed of 130 km/h
› #tomasgarriguemasaryk (1850 – 1937) was the co-founder and first president (1918 – 1935) of Czechoslovakia.

Mladá Boleslav, 10 May 2021 – The Mladá Boleslav automaker has traditionally been closely associated with Czech statehood. #tomasgarriguemasaryk, co-founder and first president of Czechoslovakia, returned from exile in a Laurin & Klement model series M. 95 years ago, on 10 May 1926, a delivery note was issued for his new official car – the prestigious ŠKODA #hispanosuiza limousine. The president kept the impressive model with a sixcylinder, 6.6-litre engine in his fleet for  almost ten years – longer than any of his other vehicles.

Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (1850 – 1937) was the co-founder and first president of the Czechoslovak Republic from 1918 to 1935. Coming from a poor background, he received his habilitation in Vienna and became a professor of philosophy in Prague at the age of 32. As a member of parliament in Vienna, he campaigned for the democratisation of the monarchy. He gained international recognition for his fight against antisemitism, among other things. A deeply religious Protestant, he 
was committed to the separation of church and state and resolutely opposed totalitarian regimes. During his exile in the First World War, he won the support of his allies for the establishment of an independent Czechoslovakia before becoming its head of state from 1918 to 1935.

Immediately after his return from exile, the then 68-year-old Masaryk used an open-top Laurin & Klement model of the M series decorated with flowers for his victory drive through Prague on 21 December 1918. On 3 May 1919, Václav Laurin and Václav Klement personally welcomed the President to their automobile factory in Mladá Boleslav. During this tour of the factory, Masaryk, influenced by his stay in America, spoke in favour of developing affordable vehicles for the general population.

ŠKODA #hispanosuiza: 10 years in the service of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk
Throughout his political career, #tomasgarriguemasaryk relied on Czech manufacturers to build his official cars, using the ŠKODA #hispanosuiza for the longest time. The delivery note for the President’s office was issued on Monday, 10 May 1926. The prestigious limousine with a sixcylinder engine remained in the Head of State’s fleet until 17 March 1936.

The vehicle was the first of 100 units built at the Škoda Group’s Pilsen plant between 1926 and 1929. The #hispanosuiza of the Spanish-French company of the same name was the basis. The term “Suiza” refers to the home country of the Swiss designer Marc Birkigt, who created one of the highest quality and technically most innovative cars of the time.

Further information in the press release to download