At the start of the 1960s, the ŠKODA OCTAVIA series were some of the best rally cars of their engine category. Besides a hat-trick of first places at the Monte Carlo Rally (1961, 1962 and 1963) and victories in other events in Europe, it repeatedly shone overseas as well, including in the extremely demanding Shell 4000 Rally across the vast expanse of Canada from Montreal to Vancouver. The event’s name refers to the length of the course: 4,000 miles, or around 6,437 kilometres. The participants’ mandatory equipment included rubber boots for wading through marshes and a flare gun for summoning help. In 1962 a ŠKODA OCTAVIA Super was the only European car to survive the endless stretches of demanding terrain. The trophy shown is from the following year’s event, held on 18-24 April 1964, and commemorates the 1st, 2nd and 4th place finishes achieved by the team with the slightly more powerful OCTAVIA TS 1200 in their category rankings. What’s more, ŠKODA became the second most successful car brand in the event.