IDRIVEACLASSIC reviews: Skoda Favorit Blackline

Today's video is about the Skoda Favorit - the first modern Skoda and the Skoda which won the hearts of Volkswagen.
Today's video is sponsored by Adrian Flux! Give them a call or check out this web link for fantastic cover on your classic car:
Hard of hearing like me? I've put the walk around section below!
We’ve been spoilt today with this Skoda Favorit, this example is probably as close to factory fresh as we’re going to get and I’m so excited to show you her.
And it’s the first Skoda we’ve ever had on the channel, so I thought we’d kick off with a model which was so important in the history of the brand.
The Favorit came to market in an era where budget motoring was a big deal. Many families possessed the ability to now purchase a second car and with that, a smaller, cheap runaround was a firm favourite of the two car household buyer.
The Favorit really delivered in a way that Skoda’s previous efforts hadn’t: it was decidedly more modern. Gone was the rear wheel drive, rear engine set up and in came the front wheel drive, front engine set up that many buyers wanted.
Plus, the 80s was when the car buyer could be more choosy: the days of cars with varying build qualities and quirks of the 70s were over. Japanese cars had arrived with build accuracy and even Austin Rover boasted of robots making cars - this really was the era where reliability became more of a given than luck of the draw.
Whilst the cars were a more modern take for Skoda, the budget element meant they kept things simple. There was one engine option, the 1.3 litre, although fuel injection models were available. The fuel injected model being touted as a ‘smoother yet crisper performance’.
The car wasn’t particularly fast or particularly thirsty with that 1.3 and you’d be looking at a top speed of around 93mph and an around town fuel consumption of 35 miles per gallon whilst longer trips running a steady of speed of 56mph would see fuel consumption improve with around 51 miles per gallon.
Although the car was a much more modern look for Skoda, the engine had previously been in the Estelle, so wasn’t a massive leap into the unknown for existing Skoda customers.
Whilst the engine stayed the same, the body style did not. You got a choice of 5 door hatchbacks, 5 door estates and a 2 door coupe utility.
All came with the 5 speed manual gearbox as we’ll demo later in the video.
The car had varying degrees of popularity. In the UK it sold 50,000 units but in mainland, Central Europe, the car was a massive hit. In fact, it was one of the most popular cars of its day and was exported far and wide to places like Argentina, Bosnia, South America and Turkey.
For a car that was essentially sold as a budget car, it wasn’t skimped on when it came to design. The car design was the brainchild of Bertone, an Italian automobile company who specialise in car styling.
To put into context how special this was for Skoda, Bertone had styled cars for really big names like Aston Martin, Mercedes and Lamborghini…so to have them come on board and do the Favorit was a really big leap and commitment to being more modern from the Skoda brand.
Although interestingly, it was this partnership between Bertone and Skoda which slowed up the car coming to market. The development and concept had kicked off in the early 80s, but due to disputes, the car didn’t get designed until 1985 and into production in 1987.
Obviously, I’ve only briefed mentioned Bertone, but if you’re interested in car styling, the book Bertone Masterpieces of Style is definitely one to add to your Amazon wish list. A very interesting book!
I said at the start of this walkaround that this was an important part of the history of Skoda - and it was! As you may know, Skoda is now owned by VW and it was the Favorit which really got VW interested and the deal over the line.
The sale happened half way through the Favorit’s production life and I’ve heard rumblings, but haven’t been able to find concrete evidence, that Favorits built under VW owned Skoda are actually far better built.
Before we head off inside, I thought I’d tell you a little about the Blackline edition. The Black Line was limited edition and available in hatchback or estate and the spec was based on the GLXi spec cars. The car had the decals as you’ll have seen when we were looking around the car, branded speakers and of course, the trim in the car which is similar to the silver line editions.
Currently the website, how many left dot com, which should always be taken with a pinch of salt says there are 101 Favorits taxed and on the road of which 2 are the Black Line editions.
Obviously this is a very brief overview, but the book Skoda: a car that made history is great if you’d like to go further into the history of Skoda.
Now let’s have a better look at that dash, because I’m sure like me, you’re going to be surprised what you got for your money on this budget car.

[@dieselbushcraft1299]

It’s far better looking than a lot of modern cars.

[@MartinUSMC1968]

Italian design by Bertone. Timeless

[@heledraku]

U got a cool car dont let it rottttt

[@george911751]

@@heledraku yeah, Rust is for Skoda cars of that generation Big enemy(Favorit, Forman, Felicia)Newer Fabia and Octavia is much more Resistant vs Corosion

[@danielariel3746]

@@george911751 Its shit from czech republick . Omg

[@Odisovic]

@@danielariel3746 S aid a "proud" citizen of the Czech Republic :D Gentlemen, you can see that even in our country we have self-aggrandizers who say "the grass is greener behind the fence" :D

[@grayfool]

The car that stopped the laughter. Many folks that bought one often found themselves telling others that "it's really good, honestly!". And they were. You missed the the very eighties digital clock in the roof console and the sun roof. Dead posh. Oh, and if there are people out there that tell you that the modern Skodas are just old VWs, try one. they are excellent value cars. especially the Superb.

[@JohnnyPaton]

I’ve had 5 Octavias now. One did 415k on the 1.9 TDi engine (non PD). My current 15 plate one is now on 178k and hardly needed anything. The new Skodas are matching VW for quality now, perhaps even taking over.

[@johnbower7452]

My Octavia 4 is up there, she's gorgeous. While this is technically not a classic for another 3 years I'm glad to see it classed as one. They were lovely cars; I had one and even my work colleagues were surprised at how nice it was; and we all drove Mercs and Porsches at work. Mine wasn't a special like this though. She was just a standard model. Still quick off the mark though. I cried myself to sleep the night I had to let it go after falling on hard times (she was still on finance).

[@mcmcolm]

Modern Skodas Seats and VW are developed and launched side by side these days.

[@grayfool]

@@mcmcolm True, but Skoda stills offers excellent value compared to VW.

[@mcmcolm]

@@grayfool nowhere near the price gulf there was back in the 90s. A Superb and a Passat cost roughly the same now, Fabia is only marginally cheaper than a Polo etc.

[@chrispenn715]

I love these Favorits - we had a couple when they were bangers - my kids learned to drive in them. Initially they were embarrassed by the Skoda badge, but they soon found out how good they were. My kids mates also then bought Skodas!. It was a gentle 'donkey' of a car (in a nice way). Easy to drive, fairly quiet and comfortable and economical, although hardly what you could call fast.... The VW versions were a definite improvement - they replaced a lot of the electrical gear, stalks etc. with Bosch products and gave the interior a bit of a tart up with better quality fabrics. Our second Favorit belonged to an elderly chap who had a minor bump in it before giving up driving. When I contacted the garage where he had it serviced (to get the radio code) they remembered him and asked after him. They also sent me the whole service history for the car from their records. All for a £400 car! :-) Great cars!

[@michaeltutty1540]

If Bosch electrics were a step up, I have to wonder how bad the original wiring loom was! Evidenced by my 1990 Volvo, Bosch refined the darkness invented by Lucas!

[@constantinoskandiliotis9408]

The Favorit was A VERY SERIOUS step for the then independent Skoda. With the help of Bertone, it was the best Eastern block car of its era. It really showed the effort and will of the Czechs to move forward and re-establish themselves in the European market. I am sure they didn't need the VW "occupation", they could continue on their own. Maybe i am wrong, who knows. The Favorit is for sure a classic and the last true Skoda.

[@frglee]

Skoda showed their skills under VW ownership by autonomously developing a new 3 cylinder engine in the early 00s to meet new emission regulations for the Fabia. VW liked this engine so much, they use it it many of their own small cars too. Nearly 20 years on, that engine is still being made.

[@stephenhall3515]

@@frglee Well said. A lot of VW owners don't know that their engines are Czech.

[@Artur-vh3nk]

Lada Samara was much better...

[@idonotknowwhyyoutubeletsyo5893]

@@Artur-vh3nk The Lada Samara wasn't even fully made in the eastern block. All the engineering was done in Germany, Italy and France. Same as the previous models which were just licensed platforms from other brands. The Škoda Favorit was made from scratch. The only work from abroad being the visual design.

[@skodakatie7341]

Being an obsessive Škoda enthusiast, this car makes me very excited, and ticks all of my boxes, and then some!!, , it is a beautiful example of the black line edition Favorit, great review, really enjoyed this video, so glad to see a Škoda on your channel.

[@Howlingd0g]

As a Favorit owner, I was just really happy to see Steph give it such a glowing and positive review!

[@joewyatt2407]

Love it and I’m glad you featured it. In my eyes any car over 20 years old is a classic and should be preserved. I’d like to see more 90’s cars on the show👍👌

[@yekateradiffin5939]

its a shame to lose them

[@Dan-hq2js]

Amen brother

[@Howlingd0g]

Late 80s to early 90s is my era and I cherish them all, no matter how "unremarkable" they might be.

[@TheSgtAngry]

I own both a Favorit and a Forman (called the Estate for the UK market) and they are great as entry level classics. I'm more keen on the brown interior ones but these Black Lines look great when kept in excellent shape, I wish the owner many happy miles to come!

[@kieran1844]

Thanks for another fab video. I remember seeing a Blackline at Earl Court Motor Show in 93 and a couple of years later my dad bought one and I learned to drive in it. I loved driving the Favourit and found it very easy to learn in.

[@idriveaclassic]

Aw that’s brilliant

[@paullacey2999]

Nice little car.A work mate bought a mk1 Favorit back in the day and it never missed a beat...Look at Skoda now though,making some classy cars.

[@DavidJohnston58]

I have enjoyed several Sköda models over the years. Went self employed in 84 and needed car to get in and out to work and opted for new Rapid 130 coupé 🤭 There were upgrades for body and for engine, went for engine tuning and was great fun car. Growing business meant van was needed, so moved to fastest vehicle on 80s roads, the Astramax! 😂😂😂 5 further skodas over the years, loved them all.

[@eozcompany9856]

You should try out the 60s Skoda Octavia those are truly wonderful cars.

[@dronebee83]

I live in the Czech Republic and still see these from time to time.The replacement felicia is even more common.

[@Pidalin]

Not so common today, even first generation Octavia is pretty rare to see now, you mostly see second gen Octavia or Fabia.

[@thajdu1]

@@Pidalin there's a green 1993 Favorit LX next street where I live in Prague and even though it's parked on the street, it's not rusty or anything and even the paint looks almost as good as originally...really nice to see it. :) but otherwise, yeah, unfortunately they slowly disappear.

[@Cellsolid]

My dad owned a Favorit up until 6 or so years ago. It was an absolute piece of shit. I've since driven a Felicia (piece of shit too), Fabia (reasonable for what it was, but still substandard), and most recently a Karoq SUV with a 1.5L TSI engine, which was a lovely car except for the fact that it felt skittish at 150km/h+ on Czech highways.

[@briero]

I never realised how good looking these were. This one especially. What a minter 😎👍

[@AlejjSi]

Well, it's a Bertone design after all. I saw a video with the chief technical engineer of the development staff of Favorit (ing. Petr Hrdlička CSc - he's 86 years old but still as bright and clever as ever) saying that Bertone complained of the big front lights, that are too harsh (remember the trend at that time was to have smaller lights, yet the state owned light factory couldn't afford a new model, because they had to build a similar one for the Lada) , to which Hrdlička answered "Listen, Mr. Bertone, if I could have the lights you want me to give you, I wouldn't need the service of you. Yet you are a worldwide known car designer so you have to make the car nice looking even with these lights." And he did.

[@RichieRouge206]

How cool to see this car - belongs to a good friend. The Favorit was an awesome car and the Burtone styling is timeless and the last of the interesting Skodas. When VAG took over sadly Skodas became bland, forgettable yawn boxes. Haha yes he looked high and low for something period rather than modern and ended up with the Blaupunkt lol. Great video Steph

[@idriveaclassic]

No way!

[@Howlingd0g]

My Favorit Silverline has its original Blaupunkt radio and I can assure you the one he found is very similar to it. The model name of the original deck is the Blaupunkt Boston.

[@Mickhanic-garage]

Hi Richie, yes the silver CD player came out in favour if the 1994 pull out Blaupunkt. The Blackline should have a Paris RCR 42... still looking for one. The Boston was fitted to all the other models as Howlin' Dog says 👍

[@frglee]

I had a white GLXi Estate in the 90s and took it all over Europe in it as a rep driving 30K miles a year. I reckoned the mpg figures were in the high 40s. The VW era Skoda Favorits were indeed a lot better than the earlier versions - their publicity talked about making well over a hundred improvements, as I recall. It was a solid, affordable, uncomplicated and reliable car, cheap to maintain, insure and drive. I wish more modern cars were like this. The later Felicias were much the same, and I had two Estate versions of those through the 00s. This Blackline black version is really very beautiful and the stylish Bertoni design almost becomes more pleasing as time passes.

[@Howlingd0g]

The GLXi Estate (Silver Line edition) is the one I have, and I totally agree with you. Fuel efficiency is definitely good, without doubt better than my 1.5 Proton. Very solid and comfy to drive, uncomplicated, but those Bertone stylings turn heads, especially surrounded by today's cars!

[@jkk244]

Steph does such a great job on these videos! We have never had any Skoda models in the US, so it is a real treat learning about and seeing this one in great detail. I was following the black and gray theme of the exterior and door cards and then suddenly Bam! The seats explode with color. They also have a very interesting shape.

[@michaelhalsall5684]

Skoda is originally a Czech brand that is now part of the Volkwagen Group. The old "Soviet era" models had poor build quality and were outdated in their design. The new ones well built and use a lot of VW technology and therefore are seen as good value.

[@BungleBare]

That looks like it could have slotted nicely into Citroen’s range in the late ‘80s between the AX and BX - clearly a stylish Bertone design.

[@patscanlan2678]

That slot was filled by the zx.

[@tjfSIM]

@@patscanlan2678 Yes - indeed it does seem quite similar in many ways to the ZX.

[@KT8D5]

cuz they are both designed by bertone

[@AlejjSi]

@@tjfSIM Indeed. If you search for the very early sketches of the Favorit done by Bertone (and impossible for the state owned factories of Czechoslovakia to produce), the car was supposed to look exactly like the ZX.

[@PhonoDirect]

@@tjfSIM If you look closely, it is essentially a shorter and taller Citroen BX, without the glass rear pillar and the half covered rear wheels. 30 years ago I saw some initial sketches from Bertone in the local Czechoslovak moto magazines, the resemblance there was much more obvious and it even had those glass pillars and the half covered rear wheels.

[@bcfairlie1]

Today in New Zealand, Skoda are a big seller. Infact our police have just,adopted Skoda to replace their hopeless Holdens

[@janrajce]

Were Holdens so bad? i was in NZ as a tourist and I loved them, especially the sporty looking V6s. I wanted to rent one but ended up with Toyotas and Nissan. Greetings from Czech republic (where the Škoda brand comes from) ;)

[@ms-ht1cj]

My father had this car. I remember we travelled in Skoda from Poland to France for holidays. Very solid car.

[@robertmaitland09]

I had 2 Felicias, based on the Favorit, ace cars.

[@Poki21]

Very nice video of how you introduce the car! I myself drive the first series of the Favorit Type 2 built in 1991 with 58 HP and with a carburettor without a control unit and today a Toller car drives well and the TÜV in Germany found no defects 3 days ago, everything is fine with my favorite

[@wgoodiew]

Hi Steph, loved watching your videos and I really like this format of viewing the cars than the older ones. Keep up the good work 👍

[@robenglish416]

A lovely example that survived. Weren't sold where I live, but the modernized favorit called Felicia by VW were a tremendous hit. It was marketed as A sensible car! So much car for your money!

[@dandandan389]

They look great in black, I only ever remember seeing them in faded red or that green that was popular.

[@davidhinkson8856]

Yes most of them seemed to be red or green, but this black looks really nice!

[@CathodeRayNipplez]

'Favorits finished first and second in the under-1300 cc class in the 1993 Monte Carlo Rally' - Wiki This one is in amazing condition! 19,000 miles in 25+ years is just bonkers, this is still a new car.

[@BigCar2]

Great overview of this wonderful car Steph! And a nice video format. But who's that bloke behind you?!? That's what you get when you video a black car.

[@Howlingd0g]

Let's get a Big Car & idriveaclassic collab! You can give us all the facts and figures and detailed history, and Steph can then give it a road test. :D

[@harvo351]

That's got to be the coolest looking Favorit around, cheers Steph, always finding wee gems !!

[@dmodeboy]

That's a good looking car. Great shape and lines. Never really took much notice of them when they were common place. Good for you Steph for going outside your normal era preference too! Good work 👍

[@davidhinkson8856]

My first car was the one that replaced this, the Skoda Felicia. This review brings back memories!

[@fruitychink]

I agree Steph , it is a classic by any definition . I liked the early Skodas .....s110 was a bit rough but had many saving graces .I had one for 2years and it served me well once I had learned how to corner at speed . Great job as usual .

[@gryfandjane]

When I was a kid in the 1960s, you could see the occasional Skoda here in the mid-USA. That was in the glory days when you could import pretty much any “foreign” car. I remember my Dad telling me that Skodas were built in Czechoslovakia, which made them sound pretty exotic. Fast-forward to the present, and only anoraks like me know about Skoda and their history. A shame really, as it’s a fascinating marque. By the way, HubNut featured a Favorit a while back, but it sure didn’t look as nice as this one, which is a stellar example, to be sure. Thanks for another good one, Steph! I really enjoy these episodes.

[@timothyhh]

Love that seat fabric!

[@an1_uk]

It obviously hasn't had 26 years of sunlight on it 😊

[@timothyhh]

@@an1_uk For sure!

[@MrMJSmith76]

Love this video..... I owned a Favorit Blackline for 6 years and really wish I still had it now. In 2000 I drove it back to the factory in the Czech Republic as part of a tour of eastern europe. The car covered 10,000 miles in 8 weeks and only let me down 10 miles from home on the way back. Loved that car!

[@mattfoster]

my mum and stepdad had a Red Skoda Favorit quite a few years ago and my stepdad had a Skoda 105/120 when he met my mum about 27 years ago ish.

[@stevenlawrie7819]

I loved the Estelle RAC winners for years.

[@gord307]

Excellent review, Steph. I agree with other comments that suggest you should find an Estelle to compare. There was an awful lot of VW propaganda when they bought into Skoda, and it has distorted history somewhat. I have been a long time Skoda owner, and would choose an Estelle or Rapid over the Favorit any day.

[@eggy1962]

Me too, my estelle 130 whipped the favorit.

[@geoffmower8729]

Hi Steph great little car and as usual excellent history and commentary. XX👍

[@czechhockeyfan4403]

Old Skoda without rust? It´s a miracle.

[@julianroberts5407]

Electrophoresis primer coating on Favorits!!!!

[@neilmustow368]

First front engined front wheel drive Skoda Favorit Hatch under 19,000 miles very low mileage nice in black great video again Steph

[@manfacilitymetalworks1296]

I've had a few of these. Love them.

[@Mickhanic-garage]

Fantastic video Steph, thanks for featuring the car 👌

[@itxofficial8281]

HOLY SH*T!! My dad used to have the estate variant, the Forman, back in the days! I really didn't expect to see this car ever again. Great review, and thanks for the walk down memory lane!!

[@kamilianos]

excellent video. Audio is clear, presenter is well spoken and the car is rare. I can't believe there were only 2 on the road in Dec 2020 in UK. My uncle had this car but in estate body from new ! We are talking over 20 years ago !

[@mibfox]

You cant go wrong with any Skoda car. Good looking, reliable, low cost service, economical. Skoda - Simply Clever!

Steph, thank you so much for the lovely review! To add to your country list, I've been told Favorits were exported even to Singapore, myself I spotted a Favorit and Felicia in Beijing so you can tick China as well! The Favorit (it's a Forman Million Edition in our terms) is still my daily drive till these days and I love its simplicity and practicality. I'm keeping it as long as I'm able to repair it, done some videos on that too. Best wishes from CZ!

[@Papa_Kilo]

I had a favorit, it was a good spec and drove so well. I wish I still had it

[@Bates.Eral1]

Theres a white one near me that appears in the summer it has a rust hole near the rear window. Like the looks.Great video again this video gave me a great insight into older Skodas. The classicness of the Metro is what appeals to me it gives it so much character.

[@rezzounainportnawak1280]

A kind of sensorial emotion like a good french "pot-au-feu" that our grannies made every sunday with the aromatic herbs from the garden. Nostalgia of small pleasures and delights, the old-fashionned charm always operative...

[@paramedicchrisbookseries]

My wife's uncle gave her his old Skoda Favorit for her first car to learn in, it certainly was an interesting car to drive. I remember a hose going on it when we went on holiday but it was fairly easy to change unlike modern cars.

[@alansimpson835]

Just catching up with your videos Steph. I totally agree. This car was a real turning point for Skoda being much more modern and better built than the Estelle and I do love a special edition.

[@happyhermit2022]

An excellent review of a very underestimated car...thank you 👍

[@idriveaclassic]

Thanks for watching x

[@happyhermit2022]

@@idriveaclassic If you can get your hands on an Alfasud...ideally not the Cloverleaf as they will rattle the cassette out of the standard Pioneer stereo and challenge the amalgam in any tooth fillings. Although they could never be described as a calm drive they had heaps of personality. Front wings with the capacity of a sieve best suited to straining peas even prior to delivery was not a great accomplishment. A 'first owner ' who well be part exchanging their five year old Alfa for a ' new' one that may be of the same age just loved them. I do own an ageing Italian car that has never lived north of the Mediterranean...no rust or rot and suprisingly all the electrics work...all Italian stuff was never constructed to survive in Northern Europe. Alfa Brera....3.2....but fuel is cheap here 👍

[@brendanmaloney8487]

Great to come across your channel such a well researched history of cars you drive and such a eclectic mix of cars. look forward to more reviews...... Can I suggest the SAAB 96 1960 - 1980 ?

[@davidpearson541]

Brilliant video as usual they where great little cars made a lot of people take notice back in the day reliable roomy cars for the money 👍👍

[@nigelfranciscarty8887]

I really enjoyed this video Steph. Skodas really are cute cars!!

[@Gerk8]

Very surprised by this Skoda! Thanks for an eye opening review!

[@harleyrobertson73]

I love those wing mirrors with the Skoda logo..... They should defo bring them back

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Very smart car that! Always liked the Favorit, and the Felicia that followed it. Smart, understated, unshowy, but quite elegant hatchbacks.

[@tonyb5884]

first review ive seen from yourself and found it very pleasant and enjoyable...and what a lovely car!!...my love of old skodas brought me here...had a rapid once in the late 90's...and you mentioned hubnut...whats not to like..lol

[@rob1134]

Very nice condition. Needs to be preserved for ever. I worked at a Skoda Main dealer in 1992 and i remember when VW took over Skoda. As with the nice example on this channel, VW upgraded the interior and several outer bits. That is when the jokes on Skoda started to fade away. I have owned several Skoda Estelles and a rapid during the early 90's and regret not keeping one locked away. I still say to this day that my favourite car I have ever purchased was a 4 year old Favorit estate in a sky blue colour - M reg with only around 12k on the clock. Looked and felt brand new. Wish I had kept that one now having watched this. One thing VW did not sort out on the favorit (like the estelle) engine was the timing chain. I don't miss changing them rattly things around every 30k

[@markbrocklehurst6129]

I had the silverline estate fantastic car

[@Howlingd0g]

That's my car!

[@jakeford3359]

Yea we in Malta have a heap of Favorits we're full of them!

[@ivanvisanich]

True, there were loads of them buy many have been sent to the crusher. Becoming a rare sight on our roads.

[@johnbower7452]

Thank you, so many memories watching you drive this; like I said elsewhere mine wasn't the blackline; just I think an LX and had a carburettor rather than injection but I loved it. And to be fair it's no noisier than the van I drive for work. And not much noisier than my old Mondeo was. edit: for those that say they were unreliable; I had 3 and the only problems I had were all on the 2nd hand Estelle I had and even then to be fair to her she had some serious miles on the clock and was built in the 70's. The others were both new (at the time) and both incredibly reliable.

[@smithvids7324]

Hi my mum had a Skoda Favorit M reg the colour blue and GLXI too. She had it for 7 years and that was here favourite car also she liked Skoda's.

[@Dan-hq2js]

Bloody love these even when they came out, the styling is fantastic

[@mattw8332]

My sister had one for a while 20 years ago: a burgandy K reg (1992 or 93) 136 LX. I had to drive her home once. I just remember how thin the steering wheel felt.

[@malcolmgreenway8486]

Hi Steph i used to have a skoda favorit estates. It was one year old when i brought it i kept it for about 5yrs the only problem i had with it was after time the sun roof started to leak in and you got a bit wet when it rained apart from that it was a very nice car i like that black line skoda it is very nice 👍

[@michaeltreadwell777]

Hi Steph, GREAT video as usual - thank you. My friend has one of these - slightly newer though, and he wouldn't sell it for the world. Brilliant cars and very comfy to ride in too. Take care and stay safe :-)

[@drpaulcampbell188]

I have owned 2 of these, one was a Favorit Foreman (the estate) and a Silverline (the silver version of this). Wonderful cars and i used to love mine.

[@Howlingd0g]

Proud owner of a Silverline Estate here, absolutely love her, she's a little star.

[@Pmjs]

My OH had a Škoda Estelle in Orange with Black Vinyl roof&Rapid 136 in white. I enjoyed driving the Rapid&have many happy memories. We both test drove the Favorit&the Felicia&I test drove the Octavia mk1.

[@SailingCartagena]

Owned two Favorits, great cars. Tough, simple, reliable, well made. I wish I could find another.

[@PlaystationLounge]

Oh how we laughed at Skodas in the 80s.... and oh how we're not laughing now. I have a Fabia mk2 and I love it!

[@gord307]

Other manufacturers in the rally scene never laughed at the Skoda, and the extremely loyal Skoda customers didn't laugh at them either. The old cars were an easy target because of the price and quirkiness, and it didn't help when VW took over and rubbished everything that had gone before.

[@pk-zx2vb]

My 1st car was Estelle (120) well...not great...but it was massive fun in snow as rear wheel drive and so light... I bought 1990 Favorit from my best friend Granddaddy 2 years ago in very good condition with only 45k miles...in baby blue colour 💙... The quality of EVERYTHING compare to Estelle is massive...this BLACK LINE in such condition if it was LHD would be close to 10k pounds in Czech now...and I saw some with AIR CON!? Great video btw this car is in amazing shape well done to the new owner🔥👌

[@josefzibner5367]

Thank You from Czechia for Yours good words about Favorit. Děkuji Vám z Česka za Vaše dobrá slova o Favoritu.

[@bronyrocker96]

Yay, the Favorit! I have a favorit silver line I use on the daily and I love it to bits.

[@Howlingd0g]

Awesome! As apparently there's only two left on the road now, it's nice to meet the other Silverline driver out there! 😁

[@EddyWebber]

I remember my dad had one in green. It had the same Blaupunkt cassette radio. Great car you got there. Looks like it was in the box all those years

[@a.f.1587]

My very first car was a nice blue Favorit. Couldn't afford the Black Line version, it was very rare in my country. But i got it with this exact facelifted engine with Bosh Mono-motronic injection. It was a super reliable engine (they used it in Felicia too, and later in Fabia as well). Good memories. Very good review, thanks!

[@frantisek_jm]

I am from the Czech republic and Favorit is one of cars from my childhood. I think it was really a big leap for Škoda. It's good that it worked out then. If we take into account the circumstances and the time of origin in the then still socialist Czechoslovakia, I think we can say that it is a really well-built car. I will try to add some information: The engine in Favorit has its origin in Škoda 1000 MB from 1964. For Favorit, however, it has been modified compared to older versions. Compared to the old Estelle 105/120, it received a larger volume (1289 ccm), a new carburetor, a modified cylinder head and other things. But it is right that new engine was tested and sold in last pieces of Estelle named 136. After modifications, the engine was much more durable than before. And this old OHV engine with other modifications remained in production until 2003 in the first Fabia. In whole production age of Favorit there were variants 135 and 136 with powers 43 or 46 kw (with carburetor) and 40 or 50 kw (with one-point injection). The favorite is a light car (about 890 kg), so that was quite enough. Originally, the 115 basic version with a 1.1-liter engine was also planned. Škoda also tested a new 1.6 OHC aluminum engine with a power output of 73 kw in Favorit. You could have bought only versions 5-door hatchback and 5-door estate (Favorit Estate or Forman in central Europe, "forman" means carter or teamster in Czech) and there are also small vans and pickups based on Favorit and named Škoda Pick-up, Forman Praktik and Van Plus. There were also MTX Pick-up D. C. (special 4-door double-cab for Syria based on Forman, about 1400 pcs) and MTX Roadster (only 200 pcs) from external company Metalex and also Škoda 151 Eltra which is electric version of Favorit. 3-door hatchback (coupe) and 4-door saloon were only prototypes according to Bertone's original design. We can say that Bertone's design faced a number of necessary compromises due to the technical possibilities of Škoda at the time. For example, the headlights have this shape because they have exactly the same parabolas as the old Estelle. Interestingly, the station wagon has the same fifth door as the hatchback (due to the price, of course). According to Bertone's design, the original cars manufactured between 1987 and 1991 had an asymmetrical front grille with a logo on the right. After Volkswagen entered Škoda, the logo moved to the center of the front grille. In 1993 came a major modernization of Favorit under the leadership of Volkswagen. The car got a new front grille again, some parts rounded a bit, the engines were injected, the wheel bolt spacing was changed from 4x98 to 4x100 corresponding to a Volkswagen. The interior changed to dark gray from the original brown and there were new door panels. It is true that the quality of production has improved with Volkswagen, but on the other hand, the car received larger silencers on the front axle during modernization, which slightly worsened the accuracy of driving characteristics, or unified VW group rear brakes, which braked worse than the original. There were a lot of action and limited versions with better gear and style stickers (like Black line) for a better price to improve the attractiveness of this car. First was blue Komfort (Favorit) and Marathon (Forman), other were red Sport line (only Favorit), violet Prima, dark green Excellent (only Forman), Jazzman, Silver and Black line, Green line, Special line, Solitaire, Flair line, Bike line, Million edition or Comfort line and other. Favorit was replaced by Felicia in 1994-1995 which was only radically modernized Favorit and which was also very popular. Favorit was simple and quite reliable and well-built car that offered good utility value in relation to price. The only major and biggest problem for Favorit and later Felicia was corrosion. But even Favorit or Felicia lasted a lot when they had good care from the owner. I apologize for the length of the text, but I hope it will be at least a little interesting for you. And I apologize for my English. I don't speak English very well. (so Google translator is my good friend :) ) Small gallery of Favorit development: www.auto.cz/galerie/novinky/55298/skoda-favorit-letos-slavi-30-let-podivejte-se-jak-mel-puvodne-vypadat?foto=0 One of the first prototypes of project 781 (Favorit): g.denik.cz/115/f2/14-sv-prototypynahled-2017.jpg First sheet metal model with Bertone's design: g.denik.cz/115/60/1-favo-felda-2017_denik-630-16x9.jpg g.denik.cz/115/eb/15-skoda-favorit-geneze-2017_galerie-980.jpg g.denik.cz/115/db/13-skoda-favorit-geneze-2017_galerie-980.jpg Favorit coupé prototype: az749841.vo.msecnd.net/sitesplpl/alv1/d9f203f5-f140-43ba-a9f8-a2214e235d16/2016_09_28_favorit1.a2fc351748c5333eb06f712070f94b16.fit-1450x760.jpg Favorit saloon prototype: www.skoda-club.net/graphics/gallery/full/582_skoda_782_01a.jpg Serial version of Favorit 1987-1991: g.denik.cz/115/b8/9-skoda-favorit-30-let-2017.jpg www.skoda-club.net/graphics/gallery/full/52_favorit_1992_1.jpg Interior: cdn.skoda-storyboard.com/2017/09/170915-%C5%A0KODA-FAVORIT-Entering-an-era-of-success-30-years-ago-15-1440x961.jpg 1991-1992: i2.wp.com/auto-mania.cz/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/1989-Skoda-Favorit-136-L-typ-781-modelovy-rok-1990.jpg?fit=1600%2C1067&ssl=1 1993-1995: img.aaaauto.eu/thumb/900170339_640x480x81.jpg img.aaaauto.eu/thumb/900170339_4_640x480x81.jpg Škoda Forman: i1.wp.com/auto-mania.cz/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/skoda-forman-policie.jpg?resize=616%2C423&ssl=1 www.autorevue.cz/GetFile.aspx?id_file=327397591 Pick-up: cdn.skoda-storyboard.com/2018/08/06-Skoda-Pick-up-1440x944.jpg www.autoforum.cz/tmp/magazin/s9/Skoda_Pick_up_1992_na_prodej_Nemecko_Perex.JPG Praktik: img.skoda-virt.cz/vase_auta_upload/4/7979/7979_2015-12-26_16-05-41_21.jpg Van Plus: socialist-cars.cz/wp-content/uploads/DSCF7924.jpg MTX Pick-up D.C.: autozine.cz/gallery/5501/643882.jpg MTX Roadster: g.denik.cz/115/85/mtx-roadster-hardtop_galerie-980.jpg g.denik.cz/115/12/mtx-roadster-5.jpg Eltra 151: auta5p.eu/katalog/skoda_elcar/eltra_01a.jpg dominiccars.sk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/eltra-tesla-magazin.jpg www.hybrid.cz/obrazky/skoda/eltra-pickup-favorit.jpg Favorit Savana prototype: www.autorevue.cz/getthumbnail.aspx?w=1600&h=1000&q=60&id_file=805793081 Favorit Fun - prototype of leisure car: lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/-r04ixCV_l_quIWeVL_1Swf7xkRclqLTxpUfyraQ5ZuofL1vNIZ_cLAUAWxNrHgXjDbvnHx8tBsI6fHalaZ1FRSFpntV_lk6xkZwfUpCazLq2edXDWr9hzRnamXX0B609uPL3gV7nWQrGw0B www.autorevue.cz/getthumbnail.aspx?w=1600&h=1000&q=60&id_file=798973414 Favorit Tremp prototype: i0.wp.com/auto-mania.cz/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/skoda-muzeum-2019-20.jpg?resize=640%2C314&ssl=1 Favorit 136 L/A for rally: 1470605641.rsc.cdn77.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/40629739020_1144be3862_z.jpg 1470605641.rsc.cdn77.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/favorit_10.jpg racing Favorit 136 L/H: www.ultimatecarpage.com/images/gallery/tc2018/Skoda-Favorit-136-L-H-135556.jpg Marathon: img2.auto.cz/img/29/full/3936406_.jpg Sport line: i.pinimg.com/originals/2d/af/d8/2dafd8551c5b071c249d9fefb19a022a.jpg img2.auto.cz/img/29/full/6102157_.jpg Excellent: chytrymakler.cz/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/81e9484114a54c53405cf2b01123f82a6179b057_uploaded_skoda.jpg Prima: img2.auto.cz/img/29/full/3936413_.jpg Silver line: img4.auto.cz/moje.auto.cz/img/galleries/56095e1880349/560a65b03f4c8.jpg Green line: img2.auto.cz/img/29/full/3936429_.jpg Bike line: img.skoda-virt.cz/vase_auta_upload/2/3113/3113_2007-02-26_13-41-28_70.jpg Jazzman: img.skoda-virt.cz/forum_upload/2012/02/11/7_1_158182__2012-02-11_20-32-49_19.jpg Solitaire: ipravda.sk/res/2012/01/19/thumbs/skoda-forman_04-nestandard1.jpg ipravda.sk/res/2012/01/19/thumbs/skoda-forman_05-nestandard1.jpg img.skoda-virt.cz/vase_auta_upload/4/11709/11709_2017-02-01_21-28-23_72.jpg Comfort line: f.aukro.cz/images/sk6935662103/skoda-favorit-forman-comfort-line-dobovy-prospekt-rozkladaci-442d1001-8341-40b6-b432-50effa9a8925 Belgium versions Top X and Top XX: www.autickar.cz/files/obrazky/clanky/8619/clanky-88330.jpg

[@GreenPasture1]

Thank you for your effort in sharing all this great informations! Greetings from Romania.

[@bid84]

I remember when these came out, very few budget cars back then had rear headrests. Fancy!!

[@fluffybadger9832]

I had its successor the Felicia. A lot of the features were carried over from the Favorit. With the Felicia there were VW engine options, mine had the 1600 Polo engine. Regarding the headlight adjusters, they are hydraulic, mine started leaking soapy fluid under the dashboard, I doubt it is easy to refill. I had my 96 Felicia for 16 years, never gave me much trouble. It was 20 when I changed it.

[@lucythemoggy1970]

hopefully someone out there has an estelle for you to test!

[@d-riuz7402]

Stunning car. I own white GLX and it's absolutely marvelous and reliable. Most of my peers are interested in modern boring cars.

[@jameshodges1496]

Really enjoyed this drive and review. These were derided back in the day very unfairly. Plus pre-VW skoda's have more character and individuality that any new skoda really doesn't. I want one!

[@mozgmendeleeva3050]

Love your haircut ) Also, the car is really mint, nice one.

[@n.mmitkovich2629]

Thank you for this lovely, and honest review. I would love to see your review of Favorit's replacement (1.3 Felicia).

[@victorromeo2238]

yes that would make a great video....

[@toppledgod]

I always realky like that thick rimmed rear view mirror, it always smacked of confidence which made me really like the car.

[@BlueNeon81]

Good old Favorit. I drove one in driving school back in 1999. Felicia is basically facelifted Favorit, but Octavia was a massive hit in 1997, everyone wanted Octavia back then. Cool cars.

[@PaulinesPastimes]

Stunning condition, really attractive styling, excellent video as always. This car sold in so many places, except Australia :-( We could really do with some variety in the 2nd hand market. Cheers

[@b213videoz]

The car of my childhood dreams! Absolute classic to me.

[@lucythemoggy1970]

my first skoda was a 2004 fabia, i now have a 2015 fabia. i won't change brands now, cos i have had excellent service and reliability out of my skodas. people who knock them have probably never driven one!

[@HQBProductions]

Another well researched video Stef...you try so hard to learn all the details of a car and understand them in the context of the time they were made. Skoda is one of the oldest manufacturers in the motoring world and have an impressive history only dented by some of the later cars..the Estelle was a bit of a mistake! Next test ought to be a 1961 Skoda Octavia which was a revelation compared to a Ford Anglia or Morris Minor...it was a well made and highly equipped car in ways the BMC never understood! Well done again....carry on testing!! Richard 😀😀😀😀

[@WayneSpillett]

That model comes from shortly after the facelift, about 20 years ago I had a 1992 K-reg Favorit for several years, and it had none of the VW influence. Mine was an estate, which had a heavy arse that sometimes hampered the handling, but it was a decent runabout and made numerous north-south trips without any mechanical issues.

[@Mark_T]

I had the later model - the Felicia (R reg.) in black. Wonderful solid car although I guess the VW influence was more established by then.

[@rocketsock4297]

Black bumper and paint. Looks good.

[@darrenwilson8042]

Great car - last tie we all saw one was when Ian Hub Nut Seabrook had an estate

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Skoda always prided themselves on their heaters! My wife's mum and dad had two of these before moving on to a Felicia, then a Octavia vRS and then a mark 1 Fabia. I am a Fabia man myself and if you said to me in 2007 I would be driving a Skoda I would have laughed, now on my third Fabia after owning a VRS, estate and finally a 3rd gen Fabia entry level. Skodas are realible little cars, do what they say on the tin and provide honest transport.

[@timyoung7788]

Looks better and more interesting than any VW parts bin Fabia!

[@martinkarpf-qr3vd]

Great honest and simpel design - just like the Citroën BX - same era. Thank you from Denmark

[@gingerkyriakos6968]

A perfect example of transmission between the original Favorit from 80's and Felicia. The interior already shows many similar features used in Felicia.. When I was young this Black Line Edition was a big hit in Czech Republic!

[@strangefrontiersdw]

Great presentation 👍

[@greatbritannialine]

My grandad has had skodas since the early 80s. Hes had about 2 120s, 2 or so Estelles, 3 or 4 Favourites, a Felicia, and 4 Fabias. The Felicia and 2 of the Fabias have been owned by my mum and dad (and the Fabias still are). And I can quite positively say...yes, they really are very nice and extremely reliable. Everyones elses cars (other than Volvos and whatever) are always in the garage. Our skodas just keep on truckin'.