Before World War II Škoda explored teardrop bodywork to reduce air resistance. This piece profiles five Škoda models that adopted streamlined shapes — notably the 935 Dynamic, the Popular Monte Carlo, the Rapid Six and the bus series 532/536.
These designs emphasized low drag, stability at speed and innovative chassis solutions that anticipated later aerodynamic milestones.
The 1935 Skoda 935 Dynamic featured a streamlined body with a reported drag coefficient of 0.37. It had a tail fin for stability up to 140 km/h and a backbone chassis whose central tube served as a 40‑liter fuel tank.
Introduced in 1936, the Popular Monte Carlo roadster and coupé combined aerodynamic styling with a 1,385 cc four-cylinder engine. Around 70 were built; today only about a dozen survive, including one at the Škoda Museum in Mladá Boleslav.
The Rapid Six was a 1935 sports sedan produced in only four examples for racing. Powered by the same engine used in the 637, the two-seater coupe reached speeds around 130 km/h.
The 532 and 536 buses adopted teardrop rear profiles. The three-axle 532 featured independent suspension, a rear-mounted engine separated from the passenger compartment by a soundproof partition, and skirted rear wheels for improved aerodynamics.
The shape of a teardrop offers low air resistance, so before World War II many manufacturers, including Škoda, applied this "falling teardrop" form to car bodies.
Skoda 935 Dynamic
In 1934–1935 Škoda expanded its model range and at the 1935 Prague Motor Show presented the teardrop-shaped 935 Dynamic. Designers followed aerodynamic rules closely and claimed a drag coefficient (cx) of 0.37, comparable to much later sports cars. The rear featured a tail fin for stability up to 140 km/h, and the backbone chassis included a central tube used as a 40‑liter fuel tank. At 4.8 m long and weighing around 1,170 kg, the four-door used aluminum and steel to keep weight down, and the interior was notably spacious for the era.
Skoda Popular Monte Carlo
Aerodynamics featured strongly across Škoda models before 1939. The Popular Monte Carlo (1936) was inspired by drivers Zdeněk Pohl and Jaroslav Hausmann, who finished second in their class at the Monte Carlo Rally in January 1936 driving a Popular Sport; their convertible covered 3,852 km from Athens to Monaco in four days. Over two years Škoda made about 70 Popular Monte Carlo roadsters and coupés, powered by a 1,385 cc water-cooled four-cylinder engine (31 hp) with rear-wheel drive. Notable owners included King Peter II of Yugoslavia. Only about a dozen examples survive today.
Skoda Rapid Six
The Rapid Six, introduced in 1935, was a sports sedan with just four examples built for racing. Using the engine from the 637, the two-seater coupe could reach roughly 130 km/h.
Skoda buses 532 and 536
The 532 and 536 bus models also showed teardrop-shaped rears. The three-axle 532 had independent suspension on all wheels, a rear-mounted engine isolated from the 35-seat passenger area by a soundproof partition, and skirted rear wheels to reduce drag. Further development of these lines ceased with the outbreak of World War II.