CZ Bratislava (BAZ, Garde/Rapid, 82-87) CZ Kvasiny, Hradec Králové UK Tonbridge, Kent (LDD, Convertible/Sport) The Škoda Type 742 and 746 is a family of rear-engined, rear-wheel drive small family car, produced by car manufacturer AZNP in Mladá Boleslav, Czechoslovakia between 1976 and 1990.

In the early 1970s, Škoda had originally intended to produce their successor to the S100/110 as a front-engined front-wheel drive model.

Despite being basically the same as the previous S100/110 under the skin, the new cars featured a lot of improvements, such as a front-mounted radiator with a thermostatic fan.

The 120 LS and 120 GLS models, which had the more powerful 1174 cc engine with 58 PS (43 kW; 57 bhp) and higher levels of equipment, joined the line-up in 1977 and 1978 respectively.

In France, Peugeot had trademarked "105" (and all other three-digit combinations with a zero in the middle), which meant that this model was sold as the Škoda 1050 there.

The cars were initially criticised for unpredictable handling "at the limit" but it is unlikely that most motorists would notice anything untoward under normal conditions.

The cars continued to win their class with monotonous regularity on international rallies, and were increasingly popular with budget-conscious motorists across Europe.

However, because it was much more complex than in the earlier models, the cooling system was very prone to airlocks, which often led to overheating and even head gasket failure.

In November 1981, the range was supplemented by the Škoda Garde, a two-door fastback coupé equipped with the 1174 cc, 58 PS (43 kW; 57 bhp) engine from the 120 LS and 120 GLS saloons.

The 120 LE was identical to the 120 L but with a modified top gear ratio to improve fuel economy (hence 'E' for Economic).

New, rectangular headlamps and blocky, rubber bumpers made it look more up-to-date and also improved the car's aerodynamics.

Developed from the earlier Škoda 105/120 models, the 130 series used a new 1289 cc engine and also received a redesigned rear suspension.

The new design was a semi-trailing arm layout first introduced on the Škoda Garde in late 1981, and the track of the car was widened to 1,395 mm (54.9 in).

The screen printed anodised aluminium front grille Estelle badges were designed by Alan Blavins and sourced by Jim Hubbard of Childs Greene for Škoda.

In 1987 alone (which was three years short of the end of the cars' production run), UK Škoda dealers managed to sell 17,000 rear-engined Škodas of all types, despite the cars negative image, individual handling and outdated technology and serious problems with the head gasket condition.

Škoda made great play in its advertising of its consistent class wins in the RAC rallies in the 1970s and 80s with the Estelle.

The Estelle and Rapid were very competitive cars, which helped Škoda to new sales records in Western Europe in the late 1980s (about 17,000 105/120/130 models were sold in the UK in 1987 alone).

In August 2006, an Auto Express survey revealed that just 612 Škoda Estelles sold in Britain were still registered with the DVLA, which officially made it the fifth most scrapped car in Britain sold in the last 30 years - although it can be argued that much of this reduction in numbers could be attributed to mass re-exportation of the vehicles back to Eastern Europe (as was also the case with contemporary Lada vehicles of the same era) where they were worth much more, as opposed to scrappage.

With the Škoda Estelle being the last mass-produced rear-engined small family car in Europe, not to mention the fact it is becoming increasingly rare in the UK, prices for good examples are rising.

Sales of the Škoda 105/120 range in Greece were strong, though it was never able to match the success of established Western European and Japanese models.

They had a good reputation for being rugged and robust vehicles and they were considered by some drivers as "the real cars" for all possible uses and needs.

The car also got a political reputation at the General Election in 1984, when a defeated National Party MP, Pat Hunt, derisively referred to his Social Credit Party opponent, Neil Morrison, who won the seat as a member of "the Crimplene suit and Škoda brigade".

[7] The Škoda 120L was sold in Australia during the late 1970s and early 1980s though sales suffered from laws that limited numbers imported annually due to their being manufactured in Czechoslovakia which was a communist state.

Until the mid-1980s Škoda used the 120 model, before building a lightweight and more powerful car, the 130 LR, to conform to the Group B rules.

It is interesting to note that a Group B 130 won its class on the 1987 RAC Rally, as the ban did not apply to 1300 cc cars until the following season.