1899 – BETTER THAN BOSCH

The first engine made by Laurin & Klement (established in 1895) was a one-cylinder 1.25 HP unit designed for Slavia motorcycles. The brand founders introduced this engine in Prague-Bubeneč in November 1899. The beginnings were not easy, though, as the designers and engineers lacked one important thing – a magneto-electric ignition that only Robert Bosch in Stuttgart was able to produce at that time. Laurin and Klement approached him and he replied in person. By the way, this letter is still part of the National Museum of Technology’s collection, and careful readers will find twelve mistakes and typing errors

in its six lines. 

Bosch offered its device at 80 marks per unit, was not prepared to provide any discount and refused Laurin and Klement’s idea of testing the device in the Mladá Boleslav-made machine. Further letters apparently bothered him so he started replying without paying the postage, i.e. at Laurin and Klement’s cost. In the end the Boleslav engineers came to understand the whole principle and designed their own ignition system that was lighter, cheaper and more practical. “The result of presenting this vehicle of the future was indeed great”, Národní politika (newspaper) wrote on 21 November, 1899. The history of Mladá Boleslav-made engine was born.

KODIAQ SKINNED TO THE BONE

The KODIAQ anatomy can now be explored on a special vehicle that has been dismantled for ŠKODA.  “All of the key elements of the bodywork structure are visible – the deformation zones, the door reinforcements, the passenger compartment skeleton whose borders are formed by the A-pillar, B-pillar, doorsill and roof. Also uncovered are the locations of the respective airbags (including the pyro cartridges), the impact sensors along the vehicle’s perimeter, as well as the active safety elements – assistance systems, for example the front radar and camera, blind spot sensors and parking sensors,” explains Petr Kraus, Head of Vehicle Safety Development. “Further, the model offers spectacular views of the structure for all three rows of seats, including the seat AC system as well as the electrically controlled seat-positioning system that is fully functional. This makes it possible to check out the whole mechanism. Also completely functional is the window control system, which can be viewed – like in an aquarium –through big cut-outs as the windows slide down. The pop-out tow bar mechanism is exposed, too.”

Tony Slack, Managing Director added, “The “anatomical” model is meant to be used primarily for safety promotion campaigns, presentations to automotive development experts, importer and dealer training, as well as public presentations.” 

Where can you see it? The KODIAQ cross-section model will appear in various TV programmes, at firefighter training sessions the purpose of which is to show the simplest ways of getting into the car if necessary, at safety education events for both adults and children.

Before doing so to the KODIAQ, “automotive surgeons” had also made cross sections from some of the other ŠKODA models currently available, including the RAPID, FABIA, OCTAVIA and SUPERB.

COMPLETING DA VINCI: WHERE ENGINEERING MEETS INGENUITY

What does a pint of Pilsner lager have in common with contact lenses? Other than pleasantly altering your view of the world, both are Czech inventions, just as sugar cubes, snap fasteners, the plastic explosive Semtex, and others are. However small the Czech Republic might be in size and population, this is a country rich in ideas and innovation. ŠKODA is proud of sharing and continuing that tradition in the world of motoring.

When Leonardo Da Vinci first thought of contact lenses as an aid for the weak-sighted, he couldn't foresee that it would take another 400 odd years and the ingenuity of a Czech chemist to turn his idea into reality. And yet, it was Otto Wichterle (1913-1998), who had the insight that created a path to the soft contact lens as we know today. His paper "Hydrophilic gels for biological use", published in 1959 in the journal Nature, delivered the breakthrough in the quest extending through half a millennium.

However, it was a US company which turned the idea into an economic success after buying the rights to produce the lenses in the mid-1960s.

Although Professor Wichterle's merits are undoubted, there has been some dispute on another invention attributed to a Czech scholar by his fellow countrymen: the lightning conductor. While internationally regarded as the brainchild of Benjamin Franklin, Czech science historians often cite the 18th century Catholic priest, theologian and natural scientist Prokop Diviš (1698-1765) as the original inventor.

The fact is both inventors built apparatuses conducting the electricity from lightning strikes to the ground around 1750.

Episode 3. Does the Yeti really exist?

The only Yeti we managed to spot were the expedition's three Outdoor models – all built at ŠKODA’s assembly plant in Aurangabad in central western India. 

All were standard production models but had the optional Rough-Road package fitted. The package – which is available to all YETI Outdoor buyers, not just mountain adventurers – consists of a thermoplastic cover for the engine and transmission, a plastic cover for the fuel and brake lines, the reinforced brake fluid distribution system and the hand-brake cable. All models were also equipped with a space-saver spare wheel, although no punctures were suffered during the 680-km journey.

Known to locals around Merak as Migoi, the yeti has been a part of Bhutanese, Nepalese and Tibetan folklore for more than three centuries. Although the early Himalayan people are believed to have worshipped a ‘glacier being’, the first documented reports of a mountain-dwelling bipedal creature in Western culture didn’t appear until the early 19th century.

As Western mountaineers embarked on Himalayan climbs in the 1920s, reported sightings became more frequent, with a number of respected explorers claiming to have seen a mysterious mountain beast. 

By the 1950s, debate surrounding the yeti’s existence reached new heights with Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reporting large, unexplained footprints in the snow. National newspapers across Europe funded large-scale yeti-finding expeditions as the story became headline news. In the 21st century, the emphasis moved towards scientific exploration, with various examples of older evidence tested for authenticity and a host of new explanations coming forward. The most recent research has been carried out by the universities of Oxford and Lausanne and concluded that although the existence of the yeti couldn’t be completely ruled out, the evidence suggested that the creature is likely to be a species of bear.

Episode 2. Does the Yeti really exist?

The adventure begins in Delhi, India where the adventure team pack their kit into the

spacious boot of their YETIs and travel the short distance to the border with Bhutan.

As befits a country with the official title of ‘The Kingdom of Bhutan’, the border takes the

form of a large golden gate that separates the border town of Samdrup Jongkhar from

India.

Once the team are in Bhutan, the true scale of the adventure starts to emerge. As the

convoy leaves Samdrup Jongkhar, the roads quickly become more challenging as they

snake up the mountain. Asphalt gives way to gravel while the safety barriers disappear

completely to leave sheer drops at the side of the road.

After a brief stop in Wamrong, the cars are checked over and the drive to the overnight

camp at Lingkhar in Tashigang commences. The road from Wamrong to Trashigang is one of the most challenging routes in the country and is locally known as the ‘road of death’ on account of the number of motorists who have lost their lives trying to negotiate its

40,000 bends and corners.

Predictably, the YETI takes it all in its stride. Although the Rough-Road package (see box

for more details) is put to the test on numerous occasions, the sure-footed four-wheeldrive

system ensures that traction is maintained at all times. Progress is, however, slow,

thanks to the rough surface and the need to negotiate pedestrians and cattle. Third gear

is the norm as the convoy edges its way closer to Trashigang.

Day two ends at Lingkhar Lodge – a stopover point in the busy town of Trashigang –

some 1,110 m above sea level. It’s a chance to refuel the YETIs, refuel the team and get

some sleep before the drive to Merak – the fabled home of the yeti.

Driving in Bhutan

For the European driver, taking to the roads in Bhutan is a bit of an eye-opener. Like

many Asian countries, Bhutan drives on the left and most cars are right-hand drive. Just 62 per cent of Bhutan’s roads are tarmacked, while the remaining 38 per cent vary from rough gravel tracks to extremely rough tracks only passable in four-wheel-drive vehicleswith good ground clearance.

Although Bhutan itself is a small country, measuring around 300 km east to west and

150 km north to south, it is highly mountainous. This means that it can take hours

to travel between two relatively close villages due to serpentine mountain roads and roads along river banks. Amazingly, 80 per cent of the Bhutanese population lives more

than a two-hour walk from the nearest road.

Watch Tuesday's third and final episode.

Episode 1 Does the yeti really exist?

Does the yeti really exist? It’s a question that has engaged explorers for centuries – prompting countless expeditions into the wilds of Bhutan and spawning hundreds of unexplained sightings and stories. Enshrined in local folklore, the yeti continues to attract adventurers to the Himalayan mountains of Bhutan – all hoping for a glimpse of the mythical beast.

Such is the attraction of the area – which features some of the most challenging roads in the world – that ŠKODA launched an expedition of its own. Taking three specially prepared YETIs on an adventure into an area of Bhutan where many locals believe the yeti lives. Would the wild yeti be tempted out into the open by the appearance of three attract adventurers to the Himalayan mountains of Bhutan – all hoping for a glimpse of the mythical beast. Watch Thursday's episode for second part of the Yeti story.

ŠKODA OCTAVIA with new assistance systems and superior connectivity services

ŠKODA has equipped the bestseller with a new range of connectivity services: mobile online services under the label ŠKODA Connect. The driver assistance systems in the comprehensively upgraded ŠKODA OCTAVIA go beyond compact-class standards.