Laurin & Klement Voiturette A
The little two-seat carriage that turned Laurin & Klement from bicycle and motorcycle makers into car builders.
Rétromobile 2011 - Laurin & Klement type A - 1905 - 003.jpg · Thesupermat · CC BY-SA 3.0
Research pending
A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.
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More than a set of wheels.
Laurin & Klement published a preview of its first automobile on 29 October 1905 after more than five years of development. The Voiturette A was tiny and simple by modern standards, but its water-cooled V-twin, three-speed transmission and choice of shaft or chain drive made it a serious machine rather than a motorised toy. Road approval followed in January 1906 and the public saw it at the Prague Motor Show that April. At least forty-four were built through 1907, beginning the automobile line that later became Škoda.
Look a little closer.
The buyer could choose individual seats or a wide bench, wooden-spoke or wire-spoke wheels, and red, green, blue or white paint.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
From pedals to pistons
Václav Laurin and Václav Klement began with Slavia bicycles in 1895, added motorcycles in 1899 and spent more than five years developing their first car. In 1905 they stopped bicycle production and expanded the factory so automobile work could grow.
Source: Škoda Storyboard · 115 years of automotive engineering ↗Brakes from another age
The foot control slowed a brake on the driveshaft, while a hand lever operated drums at the rear wheels. The arrangement shows how early designers were still deciding which parts of a car should do which job.
Source: Škoda Storyboard · L&K Voiturette A history ↗Where these facts come from
- Škoda Storyboard · L&K Voiturette A (1905–1907)
- Škoda Storyboard · 115 years of automotive engineering
- Škoda Storyboard · Classic Days Voiturette A
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed 2026-10-01.