SKODA TYPE 903 STAFF CAR

Skoda 903 is a Czechoslovak military off-road vehicle that was produced for the needs of the Yugoslav Army during World War II. The first prototypes of the car appeared in 1936, but serial production continued in 1940-1941 at the Mlada Boleslav plant. The 903 was initially developed as a grassroots initiative by the Skoda plants to create a three-axle military all-terrain vehicle. In order to shorten the research and development works and reduce the costs of the project, the same engine with a power of 60 HP was used as in the civil Skoda 640 Superb. The vehicle frame and suspension system were developed from scratch. Work on the new car, however, did not have a very high priority, and due to the fact that the prototypes were not free from defects, the vehicle did not enter production, before the occupation of Czechoslovakia by Germany in 1938-1939. Interestingly, however, work on the Skoda 903 was continued under the German occupation, and Yugoslavia became interested in the vehicle. At the same time, in the examples produced for this country, the power unit was changed to a 75 HP engine. At the turn of 1940-1941, 42 vehicles were commissioned by the government in Belgrade, but the German invasion of this country in 1941 prevented their delivery. Almost all of them were later used by the German army as staff cars.