12 New Zealand Classic Car | themotorhood.com
over six days. However, all was not lost for the local Škoda
teams, as three cars started and all three finished, winning
the manufacturers’ team prize.
This achievement added to the already impressive list of
honours won around the world for Škoda, including the
1971 International Rally Wiesbaden in Germany, with a
first, second, and third in the 1100cc class, first in 1000cc
class, and manufacturers’ team prize.
In New Zealand, Škoda was quick to take advantage
of its recent rally success by advertising that the Škodas
entered in every event were standard, unmodified
production models, just like the cars you could purchase
straight off the showroom floor.
In the 1972 Heatway International Motor Rally,
Škoda once again started with three entries and all three
finished, being awarded the manufacturers’ trade team
prize. Colin and Laurie took out 24th spot in their
Škoda S110L.
Colin recalls, “It certainly helped Škoda sales in
New Zealand.”Factory built
In 1973, after a few years of competing with the locally
assembled Škoda, the local distributor of the marque,
Motor Holdings, imported two fully homologated
factory-built Škoda 120 S Rallye cars. Only 100 of these
special cars were built in Škoda’s competition department
at Mladá Boleslav on the outskirts of Prague, in the
former Czechoslovakia. The Škoda 120 S Rallye became
one of the most controversial competition models, as the
requirement for obtaining approval, or the possibility of
participation, was the production of at least 1000 cars.
Škoda representatives convinced the FIA that they had
made another 900 of the cars for the Czech police to
improve traffic safety.
Of the two cars that were imported into New Zealand,
one went to the team of Morrie Chandler and
Don Campbell, and the other, sponsored by Takapuna
Škoda dealer Clifton Motors, was co-driven by Colin
and Laurie.
The factory-built 120 S Rallye was a far superior beast
to the car that Colin and Laurie were used to competingin. Instead of a five-port cylinder head and an engine
bay–mounted radiator, the Rallye sported a much more
effective eight-port cylinder head with twin Weber
carburettors that had a specially adapted airbox connected
to the left side external air vent. The engine was hooked
up to a close-ratio gearbox, and better cooling was helped
via a front-mounted radiator.
Colin says, “There were many times that I wasn’t quite
sure how fast we were going, as it wasn’t unusual to watch
the speedometer needle bouncing off the top end of the
dial — 105mph [169kph].”
The Evans/Waite duo were fairly competitive in the
Škoda 120 S and were frequent class winners, with a best-
ever result of fourth outright at a Waiuku Forest rally.
“The locally built Škoda was especially good in rough
conditions,” Colin explains. “When things got slippery,
the traction was far superior to some of the rear-wheel-
drive Datsun 1200s and Corollas. In some conditions, the
120 S Rallye could outperform some of the much faster
BDA Escorts and Mazda R X-3s.”
In the 1973 Heatway International Motor Rally,
the Evans/Waite pair finished in a disappointing 25th
position. The following year, the event was cancelled due
to the worldwide oil crisis. During the 1975 Heatway,
the pair suffered engine problems and were forced to
withdraw from the competition. In 1976, they were off
to a fine start, leading their class through the treacherous
snow and icy conditions of the deep south. On a long
stage near Omakau, in Central Otago, they were caught
by a faster rival, who lost control and used the rear end
of their Škoda to stop. Being a rear-engined vehicle, the
Škoda didn’t take too kindly to being shunted in the
back. One of the most vulnerable engine components, the
distributor, was pushed into the rear panel, rendering it
completely useless and leaving Colin and Laurie stranded
in freezing conditions for many hours before help arrived.
When Colin and Laurie retired at the end of that 1976
rally season, the Clifton car was sold in the South Island,
and it is believed that a similar fate befell the Chandler
car. Colin understands that both cars competed in club
events throughout the South Island before eventually
disappearing.1971 ŠKODA 120 S RALLYE
PRODUCTION TOTAL 100
ENGINE In-line four-cylinder
DISPLACEMENT 1174cc
BORE/STROKE 72mm/72mm
POWER 88kW at 7500rpm
COMP. RATIO 9.5:
CARBURETTOR Twin Weber 40 DCOE
TRANSMISSION Four-speed manual
BRAKES, F/R Hydraulic disc / Drum
DIMENSIONS:
LENGTH 4155mm
WIDTH 1620mm
HEIGHT 1380mm
WHEELBASE 2400mm
TRACK, F/R 1280mm/1250mm
PERFORMANCE:
MAX. SPEED 220kphBelow: Colin and Laurie
putting the factory built Škoda
120S Rallye through its paces
in the Heatway International
Motor Rally