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Václav Laurin

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Václav Laurin
Václav Laurin in 1893
Born(1865-10-16)16 October 1865
Kamení, Austrian Empire
Died3 December 1930(1930-12-03) (aged 65)
Prague, Czechoslovakia
NationalityCzech
Occupation(s)Engineer, industrialist, automotive pioneer

Václav Laurin (16 October 1865, Kamení near Pěnčín – 3 December 1930, Prague) was a Czech engineer, industrialist and automotive pioneer who, along with Václav Klement, founded automobile manufacturer Laurin & Klement that later became today's Škoda Auto.

Career

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He apprenticed as a locksmith in Mladá Boleslav, where, in 1895, he and Václav Klement founded the company Laurin & Klement (now Škoda Auto). At the beginning of December 1895, the mechanic Václav Laurin and the book-seller Václav Klement, both bicycle enthusiasts, started manufacturing bicycles of their own design, patriotically named Slavia in the nationalist atmosphere of the end of the 19th century.[1] In 1905, Laurin manufactured their first automobile. Today, the company enjoys worldwide popularity under the brand Škoda Auto.[1]

Laurin was prominently engaged in the automobile company Laurin & Klement, together with his collaborator Václav Klement, co-founder of the company. He participated in the construction of vehicles there. In his later years, he was the technical director of Škoda Auto.[2]: 76–77 

References

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  1. ^ a b "The history of ŠKODA". ŠKODA UK. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  2. ^ Walker, Mick (2000). Mick Walker's European Racing Motorcycles. Redline Books. ISBN 978-0-9531311-3-6.
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