Skoda Laurin & Klement M/Mb/MO

Laurin & Klement was a bicycle, motorcycle and automobile manufacturer in the Czech Republic and Czechoslovakia.

The company was founded on 18 December 1895 by Václav Klement booksellers and mechanic Václav Laurin in Mladá Boleslav (Bohemia). Laurin was a partner of the company Kraus & Laurin in Turnov, the repaired bicycles. The initiative for the establishment of the factory went from Clement, who over the manufacturer of his bicycle, Dresdner Seidel & Naumann, had annoyed. Seidel & Naumann had a complaint written in Czech Klement’s about lack of durability of the bicycle rejected haughtily.

Initially, repaired and built to bikes of the brand Slavia, three years later, with or without auxiliary motor. 1898 was built a small factory outside of Mlada Boleslav, where 40 workers were employed. 1899, the first motorcycles and automobiles were produced from 1905. End of 1902, the 2000. Motorcycle left the factory. The L & K-bikes were very successful in competitions. With 34 races in 1903, they won 32 victories. 1905 built L & K 19 different Motorcycle types with one-and two-cylinder engines. And such a four-cylinder engine, the CCCC 5HP. In 1901, L & K had engaged in the development of automobiles and exhibited at the motor show in Vienna a vehicle with two-cylinder engine.

In 1905 the first cars of the first type A with a 1100cc water-cooled 5.1 kW (7hp) were built, heavy twin-cylinder and a short time later, the Type B with 6.6 kW (9hp) and 1395cc. 1907 was followed by the types B2 with 2278 cm ² and 7.4 kW (10hp) and type C, a taxi with 8.8 kW (12hp).

In 1907, the company was converted into a corporation in 1912, the factory was taken over Reichenberger automobile and soon the company was the largest car manufacturer in Austria-Hungary. 1909, the designer Otto Hieronimus was set, who had previously worked at Benz and Daimler. This was also racers and developed the type FCR, a race car, which reached 130km/h.

Laurin & Klement built next to motorcycles and automobiles and stationary engines, commercial vehicles, buses, agricultural machines and road rollers. Around 40 percent of the cars were exported to Russia, Japan, South America, New Zealand and most European countries, were exported. In the years up to 1914, the Laurin & were Klement vehicles very successful in various racing events.

After the outbreak of the First World War production was switched to armaments, and only in 1919 was the automobile production resume. First appeared the type Sh and subcompact type T. This was followed by larger models with six-cylinder engines and Knight sleeve-valve control. From 1924 Lorraine-Dietrich aircraft engines were manufactured under license. In the period 1905-1925 about 60 different car models were produced.

On 27 June 1925, the company was sold to the Group Skoda (where Laurin technical director remained). The built at this time automobile models of Skoda Auto, as the new company was now called, initially under the name "Laurin & Klement – Skoda "and then under the name of" Skoda "continued to be built. The building of bicycles and motorcycles was set against it.

Skoda Auto called the tip-equipment lines on the Skoda Octavia, Skoda Yeti and Skoda Superb in memory of his origins with Laurin & Klement.

Many racing cars were modified passenger cars.

Some commercial vehicles are slightly to strongly altered and converted to the needs of passenger cars.

A car showroom in 1925 in Prague.

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Skoda Laurin & Klement M/Mb/MO