This spindly little beauty is the Skoda 966 Supersport, an aluminum-bodied speedster that was once the fastest racecar in Czechoslovakia. Of the four examples built, it’s the only one left in the world, andSkoda’s museum technicians just gave it a hero’s restoration.
The charming little Skoda you see here was actually the third of four built. Debuting at the Grand Prix of Czechoslovakia in September 1950, the car took second place in its 1100cc category with Miroslav Fousek behind the wheel.
As with most race cars at the time, the 966 Supersports were frequently updated and fiddled with. The original 1089cc engine yanked from a production Skoda Tudor was upgraded with an aluminum cylinder head with hemispherical combustion chambers and dual carburetors. Continued tuning eventually netted a 1500cc 180-horse screamer with twin superchargers and four carbs. Betcha that thing sounded amazing.
Fitted with that engine—whose enormous complexity earned it the nickname “gasworks” for all the pipes in the engine compartment—the 966 Supersport recorded a new speed record of 123 mph, making it the fastest automobile in Czechoslovakia.
Its racing career over, the little Skoda went into hibernation. The carmaker bought the only surviving 966 Supersport from Slovakian racing driver Ivan Micik in 2007, leading to the fully restored masterpiece you see today. It may not be the fastest or most legendary racer out there, but it’s definitely one of the rarest. Welcome back, oldtimer.
