Skoda Rapid Typ 743 / 747 (1984–1990)

From the Garde to the Rapid

Skoda's first modern coupe was the Garde of 1981, a two-door built on the floorpan of the 105/120 saloons (Typ 742). In the United Kingdom it was already sold under the Rapid name. The coupe shown at the Brno trade fair in September 1984 took that name everywhere and carried a broad set of changes.

Automobil Revue, the Czech motoring magazine, lists them in detail. The front track grew by 70 mm to 1,390 mm and the rear by 60 mm to 1,350 mm. The nose was facelifted to match the facelifted LS and GLS saloons, with headlights following the grille outline, and the bumpers became two-piece units with a steel core and polypropylene covers. The length rose slightly to 4,200 mm, while width and height stayed unchanged.

Internally the early cars were Typ 743, the later aluminium-engined versions Typ 747. For the wider story of the company in the state-run era, see our history of Skoda.

Engine behind the axle, Porsche-style handling

Like every Skoda saloon of the period, the Rapid has a water-cooled, overhead-valve four-cylinder engine mounted lengthways behind the rear axle, tilted to the right and driving the rear wheels through a transaxle. The body is a steel monocoque.

The key engineering change over earlier rear-engined Skodas was the rear suspension. Semi-trailing arms with coil springs replaced the swing axle used on older models. At the front there are double wishbones and coil springs. Brakes are discs with four-piston calipers at the front and drums at the rear, and the standard tyres were 165 SR 13 Barum radials.

British magazines Autocar and Motor called it "the poor man's Porsche" and "a beginners' course to the 911", a nod to the shared rear-engine layout. English Wikipedia notes that the Rapid was an exception to the poor reputation of Skodas in Western Europe at the time.

The five Rapid versions

The model changed engines several times. Outputs are in kW first with the metric horsepower (PS) of Czech sources.

The 120 was a short-lived carry-over: the last one was shipped to the Netherlands in January 1985. The 130 became the main version, with a top speed of about 153 km/h (95 mph) and 0 to 100 km/h in 15 seconds according to factory data.

The 135 and 136 were introduced in September 1987, but only about thirty were built that year and series production began in spring 1988. Their reworked all-aluminium engine, with an eight-port cylinder head, was closely related to the unit of the front-engined Favorit. The 135 was set up for unleaded petrol, the 136 for leaded super, and the 136 reached 100 km/h in about 14 seconds. Production of the 130 ended in July 1988.

The 135 RiC of September 1988 was built to the US 1983 federal emissions standard, with Bendix single-point fuel injection, a lambda sensor and a three-way catalytic converter. Only a few hundred were made, for selected Western markets.

Rapid coupe dimensions and weight

Automobil Revue gives 890 kg for a Rapid 130. Factory fuel figures for the same car were 5.8 L/100 km at a steady 90 km/h, 8.2 L/100 km at 120 km/h and 8.9 L/100 km in town.

Production figures and export markets

Unit totals once looked contradictory, but the sources agree when read together. Automobil Revue counts 33,455 modernised coupes from 1984 to 1990, including 1,272 Rapid 135 and 9,708 Rapid 136; German Wikipedia adds 22,475 Rapid 130. Skoda's 2025 Classic Days press kit quotes 10,980 cars, which matches the combined total of the 135 and 136.

Exports began in late 1984 to France, the United Kingdom, Denmark and Belgium, with Canada from December 1984. Most of the final 135 and 136 cars went abroad, mainly to Britain, where Skoda's importer also sold a convertible conversion through its dealers.

The end date differs by source. Automobil Revue reports that the last three white Rapid 136s were assembled on 31 January 1990, while Skoda's press kit gives August 1990. Either way, the Rapid was the last two-door coupe and the last rear-engined model in Skoda's range before the Favorit took over.

Safety and what to check today

The coupe was designed long before modern crash testing, and no Euro NCAP or similar rating exists for it.

The Rapid is now a collector's car. A count by the "How Many Left" website, quoted by English Wikipedia, found about 50 still on British roads in 2011, and the Garde and convertible versions are the most sought after. Points to consider:

• Version: the 135 and 136 have the lighter aluminium engine and the final rear-suspension updates; a 130 is the most common.
• Fuel: the 136 was designed for leaded super, so check how the engine copes with today's petrol.
• RiC cars: rare, and worth confirming by their injection and catalyst hardware.
• Paperwork: the Typ 743 or 747 code helps identify early and late cars.

For other cars that share its period, browse the classic cars section, see the sportier Octavia RS for a later performance Skoda, and see all Skoda models for the modern range. The complete Skoda Rapid guide compares the coupe with the pre-war saloon and the 2012 liftback.