Nearly 3000 of these cars, which could be described as a forerunner of Skoda’s current crop of SUVs (such as the Karoq), came off the production line in the Kiwi town of Otahuhu. Only a handful of specimens have made their way to Europe in recent years. One of them is joining the Skoda Museum, while another – in full working order – is in the hands of an owner from South Moravia.
The Trekka, the first-ever car to be designed and made in New Zealand, was a joint effort by Skoda, Skoda’s New Zealand importer, and local companies with the right expertise.
Complete technical kits of Octavia components (comprising an engine, gearbox and axles) were dispatched from Skoda headquarters in Mladá Boleslav, along with adapted chassis differing primarily in their wheelbase, which had been shortened from 2389mm to 2165mm. The body, a team effort by the British designer George Taylor and Josef Velebný, who had previously served as Skoda’s head of bodywork development, was then built on top.
The Trekka’s standout features included its independent suspension and backbone chassis. The front, longitudinally mounted OHV 4-cylinder engine with 1221cc displacement delivered power of 47hp at 4500rpm. Combining this with a synchronised 4-speed gearbox gave the vehicle a top speed of 110km/h.
Customers could choose from several different design versions – a three-door pickup with between two and eight seats, a canvas soft-top or a fixed plastic hard-top, an estate model or a beach variant. 
Read about the return of Skoda to Singapore in 2018.
