In his vision the “new” 1203 is a modern camper with a “pop top” roof. “This kind of car has been gaining in popularity recently, so in the end that’s the kind of design I went for. But my first idea was to design a peloton escort vehicle for the Tour de France,” says Daniel, referring to the Czech carmaker’s well-known involvement in the world of cycling.

When designer Daniel Hájek inspects the good-as-new ŠKODA 1203 during the photo shoot, memories come flooding back: “We have a flatbed version like that in the garden of my grandparents’ house, but it’s not roadworthy any more.” And when he adds that “it was kind of my first car, we used it on our farm, and when I was fifteen they let me start the engine now and then and drive it around the field,” it’s clear that it was no accident he chose the legendary ŠKODA utility vehicle for the Icons Get a Makeover series.

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Škoda Auto a.s., commonly called Škoda or Skoda, is a Czech automobile manufacturer founded in 1895 as Laurin & Klement and headquartered in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic. In 1925 Laurin & Klement was acquired by the industrial conglomerate Škoda Works, which itself became state owned in 1948.