By any chance is the anyone outhere who knows why the automaker named his car SKODA, since from the marketing point of view is is sort of a "negative" canotation. My Czech is limited, but the only meaning I've for SKODA, sort of translates to; pitty, shame or sorry. Like in: "skoda ze me se ti mne to neuznal" or " to je skoda ze to si nemohl udelat"... Now that the Germans own the company, they certainly can not translate it to German, for then the car would be called SCHADE (shame, pitty, sorry) in German. It realy would be intereting to know what is behind the name choice!.. Viktor
Viktor, that is an intriguing question you raise. I would sense that there must be many connotations of this used to exacerbate their unjustified stereotypical depiction. :lol: However my interpretation of the word Škoda (with my little knowledge of the Czech language), as a brand name for a motor vehicle, would be not as such a negative aspect but rather a name that endorses a fierce and rebellious impression. Sought of like what we have here in Australia: Holden Storm and also names like Typhoon, Renegade etc. etc. You see Škoda also translates to words such as 'mischief' and 'harm'. This is only my interpretation, I'd be interested to see the analysis of someone with a better grounding of the language. Jason.
The company is called Škoda, because founder of this company was Ing.Emil Škoda. So, the name of the company is just his last name. It's same like Dell, founder of Dell was Michael Dell. Or McDonald's, it's also just a name. Here you can find more information about history of Škoda Company, but it's in Czech.
That is interesting. How exactly is the word Škoda perceived in the Czech language - something of a negative aspect or not? I would personally find it quite strange to propose a brand name that reflects a negative notion regardless if it was my surname or not. Jason.
Thanks for the enilghtement. I was just wondering, and reviewing the pictures I took my last tip to CZ, I ran across the photos of big a Skoda plant that looked new and encompassed an entire town between Praha and Jablonec n.n. --Nova Boleslav I beleive --including numerous seemingly new high rise apartment/condos buildings among the wast canola fields as far as the eye can see. Viktor
It is well known, now that Volkswagon and Skoda are one (side note,read todays news: Porche plans to acquire a stake of about 20% in Volkswagen AG, a move aimed at strengthening ties between the automakers and preventing a future hostile takeover of Volkswagen), that Skoda means what a shame, pity, and the Czechs know how that comes off to the rest of the world, but what can you do when you've had name branding goign on for so long! It is true that it was named after its founder, which is also very czech. My neighbors are Mr. and Mrs. Sadness, and they live next to Mr. Koci (the guy that drives the horse carriage) and down the hall is Mrs. Smejsa (laughing gal). Colorful small nation, eh?
The Czechs indeed have a varaiety of colorful names. I'm lucky that in the US there are not that many people that speak or understand the language. My step father claimed, that he suffered terribly in school, were the kids called him "Drskova" as rouse on the name Polivka! I guess Emil just had one of those names that was formed/derrived for who knows what reason, and since "marketing" was not in vogue at the time, they just went with the flow and the general public refered to the car as a Skodofka (Skodas product), that sort of smoothes the inpact. Only time will tell, if the competion will use it as a negative marketing tool. Perhaps they will come up with something, like a acronim, we have for Ford ( an neutral name ), but marketers in the 60's started the rouse: Fix Or Repair Daily... By the way, Skoda was supposetly awarded a contract by the city of Olimpia, Washington, to install a city wide "articulated electric bus" system for the public transportation system, to replace the smoggy GM diesels, but they seem to have run into a political roadblock. They are trying to force Skoda, to built a plant in the US, to produce there vehicles localy! Something about "Americanization", since the Czechs do not enjoy the same status as China (favorite trading nation ), which translates to "money under the table"... That would realy be a SKODA, if they loose the contract for not paying off a few greedy politicians. Viktor PS: Sova: You are right about the name, my mistake. Sorry, I guess I wrote down the wrong notation, but the town "looked" so new and clean (my Freudian slip).
These Škodas are not the same! You'd have to distinguish between Škoda Works (in Plzeň and other cities) and Škoda Auto (in Mladá Boleslav) 1869 - Emil Škoda founded Škoda Works in Plzeň (Pilsen) 1925 - Škoda Works bought the Laurin-Klement car producer in Mladá Boleslav (originally founded by Mr. Laurin and Mr. Klement) 1991 - VW bought the car producer (now Škoda-Auto) from Škoda Works and must pay for the trade mark Škoda which is owned by the "real" Škoda in Plzeň.
It is perceived neutrally (like e.g. Ford in English). The phrase "To je škoda!" (It's a pity!) or "Škoda, že ..." is a common cliché which you can hear hundred times a day. Btw, the word škoda is a loan word from Old High German: scado.
I read the page on the history of škoda... and now I'm curious... does anyone know the significance of the symbol? It looks sort of Native-American inspired.
The logo is arrow and they used this logo, because they wanted spread the success of this company all over the world like an arrow.
Exactly it is a winged arrow with eye, reportedly inspirated by an Indian's head attired in a headdress. That is why the Škoda trademark (the "Winged Arrow") is also known as the "Red Indian".
