In the times of real socialism , the representative, but rather "rotten" and expensive Volga 24 was most often used as a service vehicle. In the late 1970s, the superior Ministry of Metallurgy, Engineering and Electrical Engineering sent a request to BAZ (Bratislavské automobilové závody) to build a functional model of a car that would be able to transport five people on long journeys , and at the same time would use only domestic components. Compared to the Volga, lower price and consumption were also a priority.
In Bratislava, they used the then popular Skoda 120 LS (Š 742) to build a sedan named Officiál , which was completed in the summer of 1980, but the technicians cut it in the longitudinal axis and widened it by 120 mm (some sources state that the body was widened by up to 200 mm ). A piece of sheet metal was used for the extension in the area of the floor, roof, both hoods and the rear end, the front and rear windows are made from two copies of the respective glass. The result of the adjustments was a width of 1715 mm , or 1795 mm if the 200 mm widening is true.
The concept of the car was completely overhauled – while the 120 had an engine at the back and driven rear wheels, the Officiál got a longitudinally mounted engine above the front axle , which drove the independently suspended rear wheels. The change in engine mounting required the front axle to be moved forward by 100mm , increasing the wheelbase to 2500mm. Even the drive unit itself was not from the "one hundred and twenty". Instead, a petrol fifteen-cylinder engine with a modified intake pipe and an air cleaner on the right next to the engine was used, originating from a TAZ 1500 alias Skoda 1203 from Trnava. This motorized sedan produced 57 horsepower at 4,500 rpm and a torque of 105 Nm at 2,500 rpm. The Czechoslovak van also became a donor of a four-speed gearbox, clutch, connecting shaft, transfer case and drive shaft.
The designers gave the Official a completely new front part with a mask made of the then very popular black plastic and angular covers for the front lights. Both angular bumpers were also made of black plastic. However, the front hood was still opened to the left side, and the layman can recognize the "hundred and twenty" even in the rear lights or rearview mirror.
However, similar to all prototypes or functional samples made in Bratislava, the Official did not make it into series production . Unlike some of his colleagues from Mladá Boleslav, he was at least lucky in that he did not end up in a scrap yard, but in the depository of the Bratislava Museum of Transport . It is still waiting there, in a not quite perfect condition, for renovation.
Source: Skoda forgotten cars 1960 – 1990, author: Jan Tuček, auta5p.eu, skoda742.estranky.cz
