Industry Automotive Headquarters Mladá Boleslav Type of business Private | Founded 18 December 1895 Successor Škoda Auto Fate Incorporation | |
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Founders Václav Laurin, Václav Klement | ||
Laurin & Klement was a Czech automobile, motorcycle and bicycle manufacturer brand founded 1895 in Mladá Boleslav, Kingdom of Bohemia by automotive pioneers Václav Laurin and Václav Klement. It was acquired by industrial conglomerate Škoda Works in 1925 and re-branded as Škoda Auto, which is today the largest car manufacturer in the Czech Republic and a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group.
History
The company was founded in 1895, and named after its two founders: Václav Laurin (born 27 September 1865, died 4 December 1930), and Václav Klement (born 16 October 1868, died 13 August 1938).
Car production commenced in 1905, and the company soon became the largest car manufacturer in Austria-Hungary. In 1925 the company was acquired by the Škoda Works, and operated henceforth under the brand Škoda Auto (Škoda).