Skoda Rapid 120G Convertible

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The Škoda Rapid was a fastback coupé designed and built by AZNP in Czechoslovakia between 1984 and 1990.

Not the first Škoda to use the name, the original ‘Rapid’ was introduced in 1935 and was in production until World War Two with some production during and after the war until 1947. Based on the rear-engined Škoda 130 saloon, the Rapid was a replacement for the Škoda S110r that ceased production in 1980.

It used a unibody structure and a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. Front suspension was by double wishbones and coil springs. Brakes were discs with four-pot callipers at the front, and drums at the rear. Suspension was by semi-trailing arms at the rear and coil springs, a major upgrade from the swing axle of earlier Škodas that gave safer and more predictable handling and led to the car being described as ‘the poor man’s Porsche’.

In the first years of production, the Škoda Rapid 120 (also referred to as Garde) used a 54bhp 1,174cc aluminium block, cast iron heads engine and four-speed gearbox. Later cars used a stronger 1,289cc engine fitted with a five-speed manual gearbox in the Škoda Rapid 130, producing 58bhp at 5,000rpm. Top speed was 95mph and the car could accelerate from standstill to 60mph in 16.5 seconds.

A convertible version of the Rapid was offered by Škoda GB on the British market. Standard Rapid coupés were imported and converted in the UK by specialist Ludgate Design & Development (LDD Ltd) in Kent, and were sold through the official Škoda dealerships. The cars retained their window frames, and were reinforced with additional chassis bracing and a T-shaped rollbar, similar to the Triumph Stag's. The roof, tonneau and storage covers were made by Polyfacto in the UK.

At a total price of just under £5,000, the Rapid Cabriolet was the cheapest convertible on sale in the United Kingdom. Today the Rapid is gaining in popularity as a classic car with convertible models being most sought after. According to the ‘How Many Left?’ website, just nine Škoda Rapid 120Gs are still UK registered making this a rare car indeed.

First registered to Stondon in 2003, this early 4-speed 120 Skoda Rapid Convertible comes with its complete V5 document and a rather tatty but present old blue version. Its previous owner in Liskeard had the car since 1995 and this tallies with the last time it was MOTd in 1994, at which point it was showing just under 60,000 miles on the clock. Although the whereabouts of the vehicle during its first 5 years is unknown, Cornwall seems to have been its base since 1990.