Skoda 422
Skoda 422 Skoda 422
Remember where the pedal that you need to press to start is located? In vain you are offended: in relation to this car, it seems to be completely unsophisticated, the question is not idle.
PEDAL ASSEMBLY
Why, interestingly, did the middle pedal make a small metal button - after all, on the left and right are two completely normal pedals? What got to mind the Czech designers? They already left a memory of themselves: the button is an accelerator! The brake is on the right and on the left (thanks at least for that!) - the clutch. By the way, a solution very strange for a modern driver was used, not only on this Skoda-422, but also on other models of the company of those years. That's where it’s worth writing: “I am confusing the pedals!” Of course, you can get used to it, but it takes time and concentration. And then after all, get in a normal car …
This elegant button in the middle is the gas pedal
This elegant button in the middle is the gas pedal! This elegant button in the middle is the gas pedal!
In addition to the pedal confusion - the right wheel (in Czechoslovakia before the occupation in 1938 there was left-hand traffic), a gearbox without synchronizers, a very sharp grip. It’s not easy to catch the moment of seizure, moving away: shamefully stopping the engine or shamelessly jerking a car. This is a feature of the drive - the pedal is actually directly connected to the plug. In a word, a car is not easy to drive. But there is a certain charm in it, its own character, albeit not the easiest, but honest: if you find an approach, you will not regret it.
Finally, with a sense of boyish pride, I caught the moment the clutch was turned on and started respectfully, as it should be on such a machine. It’s not difficult to work with the gear lever, even with the left hand, I have dual clutch release skills. That would be right-handed to get where you need …
Got it! The car is surprisingly smooth, without changing the trajectory, and stops quite confidently. Well-tuned mechanical brakes for such speeds (the Skoda-422 passport maximum speed is only 75 km / h) and, of course, the leisurely pace of life in the early 1930s is quite enough.
The steering wheel along with the horn button causes a feeling close to tenderness
The steering wheel along with the horn button causes a feeling close to tenderness. The steering wheel along with the horn button causes a feeling close to tenderness.
FAMILY HAPPINESS
The thirties of the last century - the heyday of the car. He has already left the diaper - he has become more confident, stronger, more reliable. At the same time, the cars were still natural: steel - such that it would be enough for grandchildren, the seat fabric with careful handling will live for decades, the tree is only real. In levers, handles, switches there is an honest thoroughness and logic. Here are just the notorious pedals … Well, almost got used to it.
Such is it, the Škoda-422, a novelty of the 1930s, is a small, relatively affordable family car, the youngest among the company, which included four models in those years. Length - about 4 m, base - 2600 mm. The 1.2-liter four-cylinder motor develops 22 forces. Is funny
For those years it’s quite normal. The 422nd direct competitor, the Tatra 57, which debuted in 1931, had an engine of about the same volume, with 18 horsepower. In German "Opel-4 / 20PS" the engine was 20 strong, in the 1.5 liter FIAT-514 - 28 hp.
A cozy lounge with large windows is not royal, but much more spacious than it seems at first glance
A cozy lounge with large windows is not royal, but much more spacious than it seems at first glance. A cozy lounge with large windows is not royal, but much more spacious than it seems at first glance.
Here's an American, or rather, the already global Ford A boasted a 40-horsepower engine, but with a volume of almost 3.3 liters. By the way, if you look for a constructive analogue of the "Skoda-422" in the domestic auto industry, then the closest GAZ-A. Its production began just in 1932, when the Skoda company produced four models with 4-, 6- and 8-cylinder engines and many bodies. In the same year, the 422nd was replaced by a more advanced car.
There are no revelations in the Skoda design. The cooling system is thermosiphon (water circulates due to the temperature difference in the system), the suspension is dependent on the springs, the gearbox is three-stage. But everything is simple, easy to repair. It was also important for buyers that a two-door closed car consumed an average of only 9 liters of gasoline per 100 km. But the main benefits of the automotive civilization of those years in Skoda are: soft seats, power windows in the doors, an electric wiper with a brush on the right, in front of the driver (the latter was usually used as an option for low-cost models). In general, a normal, comfortable family sedan of the era of car maturity.
The wiper blade is one, but the drive is electric. The tree, of course, is natural
The wiper blade is one, but the drive is electric. The tree, of course, is natural. The wiper blade is one, but the drive is electric. The tree, of course, is natural.
MOTORS AND LIFE
In the early 1930s, despite the economic crisis, many looked to the future with optimism. It seemed the worst was over - Europe healed the wounds of the First World War. Automobile companies offered more and more new models. The plant in Mladá Boleslav (ASAP, Joint-Stock Company of the Automotive Industry since 1930), by the way, upgraded the machines every two to three years, because demand and competition grew. In the same 1932, a disarmament conference was held in Geneva …
Six years later, Czechoslovakia is occupied, after seven, the Second World War will begin. The one who bought this Skoda, of course, did not know and did not think about the future. The car was made in 1931 for an exhibition in Vienna, and at first it was a convertible. But, having returned to the factory, they delivered a more practical, closed body, with which the car is easier to sell.
Skoda 422
Skoda 422 Skoda 422
From then until 1999 (!) The car lived in the same family. True, the last thirty years she was in the garage, and then was bought by the current owner, who spent eight years on restoration and a substantial amount. The simple, not dude and not at all pompous Skoda is certainly worth it …
LITTLE CASE
"Skoda-422" produced from 1930 to 1932. The car was equipped with a 1.2-liter “four” with a capacity of 22 hp. at 2800 rpm The curb weight of the two-door closed version is 1000 kg, of which 730 kg is the mass of the chassis. For the model, they offered 2- and 4-door bodies: a sedan, a coupe, a convertible, a chaise and a roadster, a van, a pickup truck, as well as a landau for a taxi. A total of 3435 copies were released. "Skoda-422" was replaced by model 430.
