Škoda Rapid/Garde
Red BAZ Škoda 743 Locusta at the Bratislava Transport Museum (Bratislava, Slovakia)
The Škoda Rapid (Garde) is a fastback coupé designed and built by AZNP in Czechoslovakia from 1981 to 1990. Based on the rear-engine Škoda 105/120/130 sedans, it was a replacement for the Škoda 110 R, which was built from 1970 to 1980. For the first few years, it was sold as the Škoda Garde in the Czechoslovak home market and in some export markets as well. The Rapid/Garde models are internally known as Type 743, with the later 135/136 Rapids referred to as Type 747.
The Rapid name was originally used on 1930s Škoda models, and was revived in 2011 on the Indian-market Rapid sedan, which was based on the Volkswagen Vento, and again in 2012 on a Rapid hatchback for the international market.
Overview
The Rapid used a unibody structure and a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. The front suspension used double wishbones and coil springs. At the rear, there were semi-trailing arms and coil springs, a major upgrade from the swing axle of earlier Škodas, which gave safer and more predictable handling. Brakes were discs with four-pot calipers at the front, and drums at the rear.
The engine was a water-cooled, carbureted, OHV inline-four mounted longitudinally, slanted to the right and overhanging the rear axle. Power was sent to the rear wheels through a transaxle gearbox. Engine upgrades were introduced at the same time as the corresponding ones on the Type 742/746 sedans.
In the first years of production, the Rapid 120 used the same 1174 cc, 54 HP (40 kW) aluminum-block, cast-iron-head engine and four-speed gearbox as the initial model. These first series were built by BAZ in Bratislava, and production was gradually moved back to Škoda’s small Kvasiny plant. BAZ ended production in 1987, after building 3,280 Gardes and Rapids combined.
Characteristics
Manufacturer: BAZ Bratislava / AZNP (Škoda auto)
Assembly: Kvasiny / Bratislava (Czechoslovakia)
Years of production: 1981—1990
Length: 4200 mm
Width: 1610 mm
Height: 1380 mm
Engine: 4 cylinders; 1174–1289 cc
Power: 54–61 HP
Max speed: 150 km/h
Fuel consumption: 7 l/100 km
Weight: 855–915 kg
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