Skoda Popular Monte Carlo

...or just shortly „Kadlo“

Skoda Popular belongs to our family from time immemorial. I drove in it even in the prenatal state. Over time there were several Populars in my family. They were given their names depending on their colour - there was „The White“, „The Blue“, „The Green“... During the week they served as ordinary cars, on weekends they turned into historic cars and we went somewhere for a veteran rallye. Truly, we are talking about the seventies, when these cars were a bit underrated. Dad remembers mostly „majle“, i.e. „Mille Miglia of Czechoslovakia“, still organized according to non-stop speed race Prague - Brno - Prague from thirties of last century. Strictly speaking, on the halfway, in the years 1933 - 1935 racers had to make this distance twice.

There are many stories from the legendary „M. M.“. For example as somewhere near Caslav my Daddy and my uncle in „The White“ crossed over the railway crossing at a speed of 90 km/h, clunker jumped so hard, that brake hoses cut loose, and rest of the race they had to use the parking brake only. Or how the crankshaft was broken and they finished the race with the ominous rattle of the engine. Or, as my Mom went with a friend in „The Blue“ and he fell asleep while driving and he sent the poor car from the 30 m deep slope. After a few tumbles it finished wrapped around a tree. The quality of an old good work was demonstrated. Although only useless wreck remained from the car, it stayed compact enough, that the crew escape from this mess with just a shock and few bruises.

Intermezzo: His beginnings with Skoda Popular my father remembered in the article „The Thirty“ in Motor Journal 12/2008
(Sorry, only in Czech available)

Last Skoda Popular was replaced the „amazing“ car Wartburg 311, which seemed to be better car for a family. „The Green“ limousine went to the NTM (National Technical Museum of Prague) and it is probably still in the deposits. We remember most „The White“. First it was the only roadster (open two-seater) and then the first car, which Dad restored. Vaguely recalls to me, when I as three-years old went back with my parents from Zbraslav - Jiloviste (famous climb hill race) and we passed by the police patrol. As I sat in my mother's lap in the front seat, she quickly pushed me under the dashboard, so the watchful eye of law did not glimpse me. This is my earliest memory of „The White“ and actually Skoda Popular itself. Soon after, however, fall a victim to building a house. Where to find money for built-in wardrobes? Well... Whenever I look at those few planks and I imagine instead of it the beautiful white car, I have somewhat mixed feelings. Such a hard fate had many veterans, and I do not mean just at our home. „The White“ had the additionally misfortune, that it was bought by a racketeer and he exported it immediately to West Germany. I wonder, who drives it today?

For long, however, we did not stay without sports popular. Even at the end of the era of „The White“ Dad got an offer to buy the wreck for spare parts. But two things came to light: first, that it is really a wreck and second that it is the „elite“ among Populars and all Skodas itself - Skoda Popular Monte Carlo. From the spare parts was nothing but in 1981 Monte Carlo came alive again after years of effort. The previous owner committed many crazy and destructive tunings on it, but fortunately he was one of men, who do not throw anything, because „this could be useful“. Everything what was removed and replaced by „modern“ parts of socialistic cars, he kept. E.g. this way the original leather seats were preserved. It's in the stars, why he replaced the original seats with those from ordinary modern car. But he did damn well, because after he exhausted the engine so, that the con rod pulled apart and broke through the block, he left the poor car behind the house, directly under the eaves, for few years.

Intermezzo II: Kupplung exitus
...or what can also happened
(Sorry, only in Czech available - short photo story about atypical failure of clutch)

Logically, in keeping with tradition, this Skoda Popular should be named „The Red“, but this time, I do not know why, the given name was „Kadlo“. The clever reader will grasp the point quite easily, where the nickname comes from. This Skoda Popular I was driving most. Whether as a small boy with my parents, or since 1999 I run it about by myself. Although in last years I do not drive it often, which I am sorry. Despite of few of its technical imperfections, I like sitting behind its wheel.

I won’t discuss here, how much it is a rare and prized, this is not important for me, but I am pleased that it has the „pedigree“. Produced on July 11th 1936 , three days later picked up in Mlada Boleslav by Mr. Antonin Tydlitat from Prague, the wholesaler of milk and eggs. I managed to trace and compile the biography of „Kadlo“. Such a tree is for me more important, than any notional price „at which it could be popped“. This will never happen. Pets are not sold after all!

Photos of our Populars from the family album are in gallery

Further information and technical details of Skoda Popular Monte Carlo can be found in links listed below (Articles from the Motor Journal). Unfortunately, they are available only in Czech language.

The article about Rally Monte Carlo 1936, cars Skoda Popular Monte Carlo and also about „Kadlo“ were printed in MJ 3/2003
The article about Rallye Monte Carlo 1937 was published as a continuation of previous article in MJ 12/2003
Skoda Popular Monte Carlo is also related with Soutez Malou dohodou (Competition of Little Entente) 1937, about which I wrote in MJ 12/2002