The Felicia was first introduced way back in 1959 at the Geneva Motor Show along with the Octavia and both shared near identical bodywork below the window line. The Felicia though was a convertible and we got the opportunity to drive one in the Czech Republic, very close to the company's manufacturing facility at Mlada Boleslav.
With liberal doses of chrome that has been maintained spectacularly, elements of aluminium and a swooping behind, the car is quite a looker and with its roof safely stowed, the interiors though spartan, are in keeping with the times of over 65 years back.
To give you an idea of its size, earlier advertisements proclaim it to be a five seater with seating for three up front and for two at the back. The two doors are large enough to provide easy access to the back but it was getting behind the steering wheel that interested me more.
Powered by a 1.1-litre twin carburettor four-cylinder engine that produces just over 50bhp, I was not expecting it to be spirited and I was warned that it would not be easy to drive. The steering wheel though spindly, again in keeping with the times, looks like a work of art and its rather large diameter aids in manoeuvering the car that is not as small as one presumes it to be.
This story is from the July 2024 edition of Auto Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 2024 edition of Auto Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
New kid on the block
There's a new Pulsar in town, and it's called the N125. Bajaj already has 15 variants of its most popular model on sale currently, and this one is meant to provide a balance between performance and practicality. So, does it? Where does it fit into the Pulsar range as a whole?
Turn on, tune in and drop out
The latest offering from Royal Enfield is a bobberinspired, mini-ape handlebar-equipped take on the Classic 350. It's for those who like to take it easy and look good while doing it
Racing gods summoned
India is a land of gods but the racing gods haven't blessed us often. The Indian Racing Festival attempts to change this with the promise of celebrating racing. Om Shukla tells you about it
Coming to grips
We recently received an invitation to visit the COASTT test track in Coimbatore to test Reise Moto's new steel radial tyres. What are these tyres all about and how well did they perform? Abhinav Jakhar put on some leather in search of answers
INTO THE WILD
We take to exploring the wilder side of things with the hugely popular Hyundai Creta. Abhinav Jakhar takes you to one of the most significant national parks in the country, Ranthambore
Minimal effort Maximum impact
The Magnite has been Nissan's sole product in India, up until the recent introduction of the X-Trail. To address its issues with premiumness, Nissan has brought a mid-life update to the Magnite
A revolutionary E-SUV for the family
Mahindra has created ripples in the Indian electric car market with the launch of the BE 6 and the XEV 9e. While the BE 6 is a compact SUV coupe, the XEV 9e is the larger one. Here is how the XEV 9e weighs up.
Bringing sexy back
Mahindra has just launched two new electric SUVs and we got a try out both. Here is how the smaller of the two, the Mahindra BE 6 fared
HERO OF THE FREESPIRITED
The Mavrick 440 has proved its mettle time and again with its unique approach to the roadster genre. But, there's more to Hero MotoCorp's flagship motorcycle
Martin crowned MotoGP champion
JORGE MARTIN has become the first independent team rider to clinch the MotoGP World Championship as he sealed his title at the Spanish Grand Prix.
