Slant-four
The overhead valve water-cooled wet-liner slant-four is canted 30° to the right. This lowers its height and centre of gravity, making room for the radiator and siamesed inlet and exhaust manifolds on its left and a Jikov fixed-jet carburettor and air filter housing on the top. The rubber engine and gearbox mounts are carefully designed
to reduce vibration and provide torsional stability.
Aluminium block
Škoda claimed the 1000MB was the first massproduced mainland European car to feature a high-pressure die-cast aluminium engine block and gearbox, though in the UK the Hillman Imp had beaten it by over a year. The engine block production sequence took just 36 seconds, with all the tappings for cylinderhead and sump bolts already cast in and very little post-casting fettling required. Although well-braced and strong, the block casting weighs just 12.7kg.
Transmission
The over-engineered, all-indirect gearbox has baulk-ring synchromesh with large 2.5in diameter cones on all four gears. A conventional singleplate dry clutch shares its hydraulic fluid reservoir with the brakes.
Cast iron head
A cast iron cylinderhead was chosen to clamp the wet liners firmly down and obviate the need for valve guide and seat inserts. Differential expansion could give rise to head gasket failure in hard-driven Škodas. The updated Favorit engine gained an aluminium head designed with British input from Ricardo Engineering.
Rear suspension
Long pressed-steel trailing arms pivot in generously-sized bonded rubber bushes under the rear seat. They extend behind the swing-axles to support concentric coil springs and shock absorbers.
Stiff structure
The steel monocoque is braced by a lower structure in which strong double box-section sills and a central box duct provide good longitudinal stiffness. These are strengthened by stiff floorpans, the rear firewall and air duct, and a very rigid front scuttle. Lateral pontoons extend
rearwards on either side of the engine, connected by a tubular crossmember. This supports the engine and can be unbolted to allow the unit to be quickly pulled out backwards. The wings are unstressed bolt-on items for ease of replacement.
Front suspension
Like that of the similarly-configured Renault Dauphine, the unequallength double-wishbone front suspension is mounted on a detachable subframe and employs concentric coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers. An anti-roll bar helps to discourage oversteer.
Brutally tested
A fleet of 50 pre-production cars was subjected to three million miles of testing, from 45°C desert in Azerbaijan, to the dusty Caucasus mountains and -30°C in
frozen Russia. The 4kw heater and radiator blind were more than many British cars offered, and indicative of the range of conditions for which the car was intended.
Feng shui
The adjustable front seats fold back to provide a 5ft double bed. There’s extra luggage space behind the rear seats, where the 12V battery also lives. The rear seat cushions hinge forward and the rear seat backs swing down to create an enormous load area.
Well-appointed
The exterior sported a generous array of brightwork. Inside, the driver was welcomed by two
tone upholstery, a padded dash top, polished aluminium fixtures and neat sprung coat hooks.
Party intervention
Škoda’s designers were routinely reined in and their initiatives blocked by central planning. An attractive two-door 1000MBX made it into production, but its neat Kombi sibling didn’t. An aircooled engine was considered for the 1000MB – and a front-engined front-wheel drive layout was attractively prototyped.
Steering
The worm-and-peg steering box has a spring-loaded centring cam to supplement castor effect, and acts through a three-piece track rod behind the wheel centreline. The lack of a heavy engine at the front allows a fast three turns lock-to-lock without excessively heavy steering at parking speeds.
Press reception
In the light of subsequent Škoda jokes, the Autocar
verdict at the MB’S launch is thought-provoking: ‘… as an example of thoroughgoing automobile engineering, it ranks with the best.’
Wheels & tyres
Four-stud 14 x 4.5in wheels were a generous specification for a light car at the time. Barum crossply tyres were replaced by Pirellilicensed 155 R14 radials in 1966.
Funny names
Škoda is a common Czech surname, but it also means ‘what a pity’ – a fact that fortunately escaped the notice of the cars’ British detractors.
The 1000MB model name messaged the engine size and place of manufacture – Mladá Boleslav. Czechs joked that it meant ‘1000 Malých Bolestí’ or ‘1000 minor ailments’.