CARS GLOBALMAG September 2016 | Page 89

As early as 1934, the ŠKODA POPULAR completed the 15,000 km journey from Prague to Calcutta. The travels of František Alexander Elstner (1902-1974) and his wife Eva were also legendary.  They managed to cover the 25,000 kilometres across the USA, Mexico and Spain in their ŠKODA POPULAR 1.0l SV with 16kW (21 hp) engine between February and May 1936. Two years later, the couple drove a ŠKODA POPULAR 1100 OHV, which had 22 kW (30 PS), approximately 6,000 kilometers across Argen- tina to Buenos Aires in only twelve days. In June 1936 Stanislav Škulina (1908-1961) and his wife Maria in their ŠKODA RAPID saloon set off on a two-year-long trip around Africa, which eventually stretched over 52,000 kilometres from Dakar to the Equator and further to Johannesburg in South Africa. After service stop at the local ŠKODA dealer they continued to the Cape of Good Hope and returned back to Prague via Egypt and the Mediterranean, where their ŠKODA RAPID arrived on 18 May 1938. Skoda Rapid OHV roadster (type 922, 1938 – 1947)