Škoda Auto traces its roots to a company founded in 1895 under what original name?

Škoda Auto traces its roots to the company founded in 1895 under the name Laurin & Klement.

Václav Laurin, a mechanic, and Václav Klement, a bookseller, began their business in Mladá Boleslav, then part of the Kingdom of Bohemia. Their early products were bicycles sold under the Slavia name. The company itself became known as Laurin & Klement, using the founders’ surnames.

The partners expanded into motorized two-wheelers in 1898 and began producing automobiles in 1905. Their first car was the Voiturette A, a small two-seat model with a 7-horsepower engine. Laurin & Klement grew into a significant manufacturer before a factory fire and financial pressures led to its acquisition by Škoda Works in 1925.

That merger is why “Škoda” is not the original 1895 name. The modern Škoda Auto identity developed later, while Laurin & Klement remains preserved as a premium trim designation on selected Škoda models.