500,000 cars built in 2006 – Skoda reaches production milestone

This is no ordinary Skoda Roomster – it’s a record-breaker. When it rolled off the production line earlier this week it became the 500,000th Skoda to be built this year, which is an all-time record for the innovative Czech firm.

The momentous event took place on November 22nd and it was only fitting that it should be a brand new Roomster that drove out of the factory gates and into the history books. The milestone represents a massive increase in output for Skoda over a short space of time. In 1995 it built just over 208,000 vehicles, which means that in little more than a decade there’s been a 41 per cent increase in production.

Interest in the dynamic Roomster MPV – Skoda’s fourth model line – has been significant and has driven up demand for the brand along with its Fabia, Octavia and Superb siblings. In response, the company has now set up an additional third shift to manufacture the small MPV in its Kvasiny plant.

And the good news doesn’t stop there. The domestic sales picture is just as encouraging with year to date figures (YTD) showing that Skoda is on course for another record year in Britain. In a market that witnessed a 3.2% drop, Skoda once again proved that great design and outstanding value for money remain core values for UK buyers by posting a 1.7% increase. Overall, Skoda now holds 1.6% of the total British market.

It isn’t just the UK market that’s doing well, however. Between January and November this year, the company achieved record-breaking sales in over 20 countries, including Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Spain, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Romania, Bulgaria, Russia, the Ukraine, Kazakhstan, India and Taiwan.

Employing 26,000 people, Skoda currently manufactures vehicles in five countries: the Czech Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, India, Kazakhstan and the Ukraine. Next year the company is also going to start building cars in China and Russia.