I was online, reading some recent news articles about the possibility that Skoda automobiles might be imported to the US.

So that got me wondering, does anyone here know or remember that, at the height of the 1950s US import craze, around 1959 - 60, Skodas were actually imported and sold here.

Early in the 1959 Hitchcock classic 'North by Northwest', a Skoda Octavia sedan is briefly visible through the rear window of Cary Grant's New York City cab.

About 15 years ago, I spotted a derelict red Skoda Octavia Combi (wagon) in a side-yard a few miles from my house. I stopped to ask and the owner was gracious enough to let me take a few photos. He informed me it would be gone soon because county zoning enforcement had just ordered him to get rid of it!

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

I was in Berlin in ' 90 or '91 when they had the official reunification ceremony. They had a cherry picker with a Skoda hanging from it about 100ft up. They lit it up and touched it.

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2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
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I presume you mean "torched it". Any pictures?

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

Skodas are all built on VAG platforms nowadays, so might as well just get a jetta.

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

Skoda is now a just a Volkswagon label and subsiduary.Probably an effort to expand their product line base in America. Volkswagon needs a product to retail somewhat cheaper. They probably also have few illusions about true Chinese cars appearing on the world scene either. It is not a case of if they will. It is more a matter of when they will.
I can see some of the big three dealers lining up for a Skoda franchise.

Volkswagon is still on track to becoming. The largest car manufacturer on the planet. They did it once in the year before dieselgate I think.

The Buick Envision mid-size SUV is made in China, with mostly Chinese parts. GM's also opening engineering facilities in China. The Envision also has GM's highest J. D. Powers ranking for initial quality.

The last time Frau Putzer got a new car she demanded an SUV. Driving through traffic she saw one she really like the looks of. I, a car guy, didn't know what it was. It turned out to be an Envision. I get special deals on GM stuff. So, I figured this would work out well... until I found out it was built in China. She ended up with a G01 X3 instead.

China has many shared companies building cars inside China. When I say a Chinese car manufacturer may appear. I mean a 100 percent Chinese run and owned company will build it.

The big three today use a lot of parts sourced from China now. I do not know what has happened out there. A lot of people just will no longer consider their cars.

Volkswagon was very dynamic in testing. Way back when the wives passat was built. Volkswagon built them in China but not for export to north America. They also built them in America. Both cars are identical by the way. Plus they built a slightly different version in Germany. It also was not exported to north America.

I felt they might be testing several things. Perhaps even several things at the same time. I do not think this model met sales expectations. So they enlarged the jetta a little more.

I don’t even eat Chinese food anymore; I ain’t buying one of their damn cars. I tossed out a broken down set of Chinese checkers, as well. Fortunately, I can still find sneakers made in America, but they are over $150 a pair.

https://www.newbalance.com/search?q=1540&ecid=ps_Bing_new+balance+1540_71700000041654043_700000001789513&utm_medium=ppc&utm_source=bing&utm_campaign=Running+-+Style+-+1540+-+Exact&utm_keyword=new+balance+1540&msclkid=117d99b9b0a01aeeb6d8c7bcda2a26f9&gclid=CLr7navi1OYCFUP6DQodacEHnw&gclsrc=ds

You can sometimes get them a bit cheaper.

Our Volvo is one made in the Geely years. It has been fantastic, and significantly better than most made when Ford was at the helm. To be fair, it was assembled in Belgium rather than China.

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

I'm in Europe now and all I see here is hatchbacks. Only encountered one W126, a 300SDL in beautiful condition. Must be an import from the US.

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

If you're old, you'll remember the 1950's & 1960's when Japan was really getting back on it's feet after WWII and began to flood America with incredibly cheaply made things, toys, cameras and cars it seemed were the primary things .

At the time much of it was shoddy junk and so " MADE IN JAPAN ! soon became the go to epithet of many .

However, they are an industrious lot and worked diligently to make better and better products, eventually they killed off the American television manufacturers, Zenith was the last to go in the late 1970's IIRC .

I have no love for the Chinese because they're communists and that's a bad thing no matter who you are but, they're struggling to make their way just like the Japanese did .

I'm amazed at how expensive a pair of American made sneakers are, I used to wear Converse All Stars, maybe $25 / pair ? .

I wish I could find American made steel toed shoes but folks in hell want ice water too .

I don't see any easy answers here .

Kudos to all who seek out American made products .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

I was touring the Kings Palace in Prague in the spring of 2017. There were a few what I think were high end Skoda’s that drove in. To see them and hear them they seemed solid. Our tour guide said that Skoda had recently merged with VW somehow, but I got the idea that these were previous to VW production models.

About a month ago I bought a pair of safety toe boots that were labeled Made in USA in Portland Oregon. There were plenty of Chinese made versions with the same brand name, “Keen.” The USA ones were certainly not the cheapest on the shelf, but I was happy to pay to buy American.

Lol, I am wearing a pair of Keens now.



Yeah, the American ones cost more. How much more? I forget.

I am fortunate in that I can pretty much get what I choose, and then, shortly thereafter, forget what it cost. If I decided it was worth the price, I don’t worry about what could be had cheaper.

When it comes to some things, I am blessed with a short memory. All the greats have one.
https://youtu.be/5KWuspZzU0I

I recently bought a new pair of steel toe shoes, the store had a big display of "AMERICAN MADE" work shoes, I looked closely and they're all actually made in China, maybe were designed in America .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better