Legend versus contemporary star. How 50 years have transformed a competition car

Škoda Auto is celebrating 130 years of existence. Sporting achievements are an integral part of the brand's history. They used to be achieved by the Škoda 130 RS, for example, but today it's the Fabia RS Rally2. What do these competition specials have in common and what are the 50 years that separate them?

29. 5. 2025 130 years

The pilots of both specials helped us to understand the developmental leap. The Škoda 130 RS is known to legendary Norwegian driver John Haugland, who has raced for Škoda for a quarter of a century and has competed in everything from the Octavia Touring Sport from the 1960s to the Favorit.

"We used to have a lot of work to do with management. It's a physically exhausting experience because, compared to modern cars, you have a longer steering ratio without power steering and you have to shift in a nice old fashioned way, with a clutch. Plus, with the engine and gearbox in the back, the car tends to oversteer at higher corner entry speeds, so you have to work with that," recalls 78-year-old John Haugland of racing the Škoda 130 RS.

John Haugland and Andreas Mikkelsen with four generations of Škoda racing cars - Škoda 130 RS, Škoda Fabia S2000, Škoda Fabia Rally2 and Škoda Fabia RS Rally2

Škoda 130 RS

It first appeared in 1975 and immediately began to gather success. It was a great mix of the best of what Škoda had to offer at the time. It took some of the chassis components from the 200 RS, the already proven 13-stroke OHV from the 120 S, and the beautiful aerodynamic bodywork was provided by the Škoda 110 R. Complemented by wide laminate mudguards and an aluminium roof and bonnet, the 130 RS brought the brand success not only in the Eastern Bloc, but also on the international stage in the fierce competition from Western brands.

Škoda 130 RS at the 1977 Monte Carlo Rally

In the 50-years-younger Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, the pilot uses the clutch only for starting, otherwise he has a modern sequential gearbox, which is the fastest solution for changing gears at the moment. The strong emphasis on safety is evident in both competition specials, but 50 years of development obviously shows in the level of safety of the modern special.

The Škoda 130 RS has only a very simple safety frame reflecting the rules of the mid-1970s. The Fabia RS Rally2's frame is considerably more robust, made from 35.8 metres of high-strength steel tubing. Six layers of carbon composites and Kevlar, along with energy-absorbing foam elements, protect the crew in a side impact. The shell seats hold the crew's bodies securely in place, limiting free body movement. This is not only important from a safety perspective, but it allows more information to flow to the driver and passenger about the car's performance, chassis and tyre grip levels.

In the event of a fire, the Škoda 130 RS has a fire extinguisher on board. Its current successor, the Fabia RS Rally2, has an automatic fire extinguishing system with nozzles in the cockpit and engine compartment in addition to two manual extinguishers.

Škoda Fabia RS Rally2

The Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 continues the tradition and proudly carries the flag of the winged arrow into the most demanding competitions with the world's top drivers and navigators in the cockpit. In its development, Škoda Motorsport drew on the wealth of experience gained with the Škoda Fabia Rally2 (formerly known as the R5) and Rally2 evo. Stars such as Jan Kopecký, Esapekka Lappi, Pontus Tidemand, Emil Lindholm and Andreas Mikkelsen have all been behind the wheel.

Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 at the legendary Fafe jump in 2025

"Competition cars have come a long way in 50 years, especially in speed and ease of handling. When developing the Fabia RS Rally2, we took great care to ensure that the car was, above all, easy to drive, predictable and easily adaptable to different surfaces and driving styles. This has been achieved," says Andreas Mikkelsen, 2021 and 2023 WRC2 World Champion, adding: "With the RS Rally2, it is relatively easy to go fast in any conditions and on different types of surfaces. It confirmed its speed by winning the world title in its very first season in the World Championship. It's a fast and precise car with a very strong engine, and that's what I love about it."

Perhaps the most visible shift is in the drive concept itself. At the beginning of the Škoda 130 RS era, even in the highest categories, it was still only rear-wheel drive that won. But this was eventually replaced by all-wheel drive, which provided greater traction and control, especially on gravel and ice tracks. Škoda has been using all-wheel drive in its competition specials since the Octavia WRC and has stuck with it ever since.

Another big difference between the two specials is the engine placement. The Škoda 130 RS had its 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine mounted longitudinally at the rear, which was standard for Škoda at the time, starting with the 1000 MB model of 1964. The modern Fabia RS Rally2 has the engine mounted front across, which with a few exceptions is again today's standard. It is a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, which is helped to produce around 290 horsepower by turbocharging, among other things, and is capable of burning sustainable fuel without petroleum components.

Another place where you'll fully realise the difference 50 years of development has made is in the cockpit. Looking into the interior of the Škoda 130 RS, you'll see a number of standard components that were also used in regular road cars. The pedals are the same, the gearshift surround, the dashboard and the array of instruments on it are similar. Interestingly, the position behind the steering wheel, given by the same steering column, also comes from the production car, and from today's perspective, it's certainly not ideal.

In contrast, the cockpit of the Fabia RS Rally2 is significantly more performance-oriented. Virtually all parts are tailor-made for competition use. The pedal cluster is completely different and positioned higher up, the seats, on the other hand, are positioned as low as possible due to the centre of gravity and the steering wheel position is tailored to be at an ideal angle. Everything is subordinated to the crew's maximum concentration on the speed and handling of the car without compromise. In short, over the last 50 years, the development of a competition car has been approached in a far more comprehensive manner, with every conceivable detail being attended to, saving valuable tenths of a second while improving safety.