Four of these humble little convertibles once drove nearly 15,000 km from Czechoslovakia to India in 1934 — through Turkey, Syria and Afghanistan — in about four months.
Median 62 hp across 114 similar cars
Lead trim: 418 Popular 902 cc I4 side-valve (18 hp) · up to 22 hp
Škoda Popular 418 / 4201933–1937
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Škoda Popular 418 / 420 yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactFour of these humble little convertibles once drove nearly 15,000 km from Czechoslovakia to India in 1934 — through Turkey, Syria and Afghanistan — in about four months.
The Škoda Popular was the company's most affordable car, made in Czechoslovakia from 1933 to 1946, on a new backbone-tube chassis with all-round independent suspension developed under chief engineer Vladimír Matouš and derived from Hans Ledwinka's Tatra design, first used in the 1933 Škoda 420 Standard (a two-door saloon on a 2,430 mm wheelbase with a 995 cc, 20 hp side-valve four; 421 built). That design became the basis of the Popular, Rapid, Favorit and Superb, and made Škoda the Czechoslovak market leader by 1936 (39% by 1938). The 1934 418 Popular was a shorter, smaller car (902 cc, 18 hp side-valve, 80 km/h; only 200 built, in two-door saloon, four-seat convertible, two-seat roadster and 300 kg van forms); in 1934 four Populars carried a team of seven from Prague to Calcutta in 14,900 km. The 420 Popular (models 906 and 916, 1934–1937, 4,220 built, the wheelbase raised to 2,430 mm in 1935 with a more raked grille and a four-door saloon with suicide doors added) had a 995 cc side-valve four of 22 hp and reached 90 km/h, including 330 two-door convertibles for the Czechoslovak Army in 1936–1937.
Collectors Spotted in the Škoda Popular Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Škoda Popular yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
2 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 418 Popular 902 cc I4 side-valve (18 hp) | 1934–1934 | 0.9 L Inline-4 | 18 hp | — | — | — | — | — |
| 420 Popular 995 cc I4 side-valve (22 hp) | 1934–1937 | 1.0 L Inline-4 | 22 hp | — | — | — | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Škoda's overhead-valve upgrade squeezed 27 horsepower from the same 995cc engine without costing a drop of extra fuel economy — but only 5,500 of this original OHV version were ever built.
This Monte Carlo edition is named for the real thing: a Popular took 2nd in its class at the 1936 Monte Carlo Rally, so Škoda built a road car to celebrate.
Four of these humble little convertibles once drove nearly 15,000 km from Czechoslovakia to India in 1934 — through Turkey, Syria and Afghanistan — in about four months.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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