Mladá Boleslav, 15 September 2025 – One hundred years ago this week, a decision forged in the industrial heart of Central Europe set Škoda on the path to becoming one of the world’s most dynamic automotive brands. On 12 September 1925, the Mladá Boleslav carmaker Laurin & Klement joined forces with the Pilsen-based engineering giant Škoda, marking a milestone that transformed a pioneering but vulnerable carmaker into a cornerstone of Czech industry and, eventually, a global force.
From Local Innovators to Industrial Partners
By 1925, Laurin & Klement (L&K) was already a name steeped in engineering excellence. Founded in 1895 and celebrating 20 years of automobile production, the company had weathered the turbulence of the First World War but faced fresh challenges. Economic instability and the loss of key markets strained resources, and a devastating fire in 1924 crippled its Mladá Boleslav factory. Founders Václav Laurin and Václav Klement knew that to preserve their vision of innovative, high-quality vehicles, they needed a partner with both financial strength and industrial capacity.
Their answer lay in Škoda, the Pilsen-based industrial and armaments group whose own heritage stretched back to 1859. Under the leadership of Emil Škoda, it had become Austria-Hungary’s largest industrial enterprise. Though Škoda’s automotive output at the time was modest—focused on licensed production of Sentinel steam lorries and Hispano-Suiza luxury cars—the merger offered something no other potential partner could match: the guarantee of independent automotive development in Mladá Boleslav.
On 20 July 1925, the general meetings of both companies approved the merger, with shares exchanged at a ratio of 2:1 in L&K’s favour. The decisive government approval came on 12 September 1925, and while the Laurin & Klement name would be formally removed from the Commercial Register by December, its legacy remained imprinted on every car to leave the factory gates.
Resilience Through a Century of Change
The alliance sparked a period of rapid growth and modernisation. With significant investment from Škoda Plzeň, the company introduced assembly line production, adopted cutting-edge technologies, and launched a new generation of models that bolstered its position both at home and abroad. The merger’s success would soon be tested by the global economic crisis of the late 1920s, but the Mladá Boleslav plant emerged stronger and more resilient.
History would again reshape the company’s trajectory. In 1945, nationalisation forcibly severed the link with the Pilsen headquarters. Decades later, integration into the Volkswagen Group in 1991 provided the momentum for a new era of innovation, modernisation and global expansion—one that continues to define Škoda today.
Laurin & Klement: A Living Heritage
Although Laurin & Klement ceased to exist as an independent manufacturer a century ago, its spirit remains a defining element of the Škoda brand. Since 1995, the Laurin & Klement designation has marked Škoda’s highest trim levels, beginning with the Škoda Felicia L&K, which introduced refined details such as leather upholstery, pearl-effect dark blue paintwork and retro-style alloy wheels.
Today, the name continues to signify craftsmanship and prestige across Škoda’s model range. Key vehicles from the L&K era inspire the brand’s designers, while Škoda Motorsport proudly builds on racing successes that date back to 1901. Even the company’s new office complex carries the name Laurin & Klement Kampus, a daily reminder of the founders’ pioneering vision.
The numbers tell a story of remarkable growth. A century ago, 1,800 employees built 833 cars. By 1991, 16,974 staff produced 172,074 vehicles. Last year, Škoda, now with a global workforce of around 40,000, delivered more than 926,000 vehicles to customers worldwide.
A Legacy of Innovation and Passion
This year, students at the Škoda Auto Vocational School paid tribute to that enduring legacy with a special project: a Škoda Superb Estate transformed into a cycling race escort vehicle named L&K 130—an emblem of 130 years of automotive passion and a century of Škoda’s defining merger.
As Škoda celebrates this landmark anniversary, the philosophy of Václav Laurin and Václav Klement—built on innovation, precision and an unrelenting passion for mobility—remains the foundation of the brand’s identity. One hundred years on, the decision to merge with Škoda in 1925 is not just a historical footnote but the very moment that made Škoda what it is today: a global automotive leader with its heritage proudly at its core.
