Business strategy of the car maker
An influence of domestic and a foreign competition
The business strategy of the car maker was based on a reality that at their time little known vehicles, which had just begun to build a good reputation, particularly with wealthy clientele. The brand of the vehicle was for them a question of social prestige. They had to faced up to very strong competition of vehicles of famous domestic and foreign brands. Especially Praga, Tatra, Škoda, Bugatti, Mercedes, Hispano – Suiza etc. As an evidence of a strong competition of domestic brands is that car makers Praga, Tatra, Škoda and Aero had their own dealership even in Prostějov. A car maker Wikov´s difficult position on the Czechoslovak car market is also evidenced by the fact that in the interwar period approximately 100 chassis Bugatti were imported into Czechoslovak which were made by body builders on the orders of local industrialists and bankers. It is therefore clear that already in the past, the richest class of the society preferred foreign brands which marked their extraordinary social position.
An advertisement in a regional list of Hlasy z Hané, from 6 October 1932
An orientation of the car maker focused on a high quality
As an answer of the car maker Wikov to those competition pressure, was their consistent orientation on a high, literary first-class quality of technical and aesthetic solution and workshop processing of their cars which illustrated in competitions of reliance and persistence, target speed-endurance competitions (rally), speed races on circuits and elegance competitions. Highly experienced riders were chosen and assigned by the company for a participation in competitions. A very experienced driver of the car maker Jaroslav Konečník and a professional racer Adof Szczyzycki. Achieved success at these competitions later the car maker reported in their advertisements, published in a regional and countrywide newspapers and in promotional posters as a proof of the high quality of its cars.
A vehicle Wikov 35 faeton during the winning ride at Auto-Moto-Rallye to Vysoké Tatry
A participation in competitions of reliability and in rally
The car maker considered the vehicle´s high working reliability and a big power (“strength”) as the biggest strengths. It was gained due to advanced engine design solutions. These their appreciated and that time extraordinary characteristics proved by achieved victories and front positions in a number of reliability competitions held in the Czech Republic, Moravia and Slovakia. In these competitions, the trouble-free operation of the cars during the time-limited ride at a given competition route. Therefore, even balanced and fast driving ride across the terrain profile was decisive. The car maker took part in categories up to 1,5 litres of serial cars without modifications and all of them achieved victory in its category. These were, especially competitions of reliability of Moravia, Šumava, Sovakia, Valašsko etc., held between 1930 and 1932. As far as participation in the rally is concerned, the car maker with 2 victories of the driver Szczyzycký with a vehicle Wikov 35 faeton at the 1st and the 2nd International Auto-Moto-Rally to Vysoké Tatry, it was held between 1930 and 1931 when definitively gained a challenge cup of this competition.
A promotional poster presenting the achievements of the Wikov 35 faeron in the two years of the Auto-Moto-Rally in Vysoké Tatry.
A participation in speed races
The car maker took part in speed races as far as back in 1929, when Adolf Szczyzycki gained a victory with his sports vehicle Wikov 7/28 roadster in an uphill race Ecce Homo in Šternberk. He achieved similar success in Semmering, Austria. Gaining a classified position (the 6th position) of a vehicle Wikov 7/28 Supersport as the first Czechoslovak vehicle in a race of 17 rounds (500km) in 1932 at Masaryk circuit, it was the greatest achievement of Wikov vehicles.
Adolf Szczyzycki during the ride with Supersport Wikov 7/28 as the first Czechoslovak race car, classified at Brno Masaryk circuit in 1932
A promotional poster informing about the success of Supersport Wikov at Brno Maryk circuit in 1932
A participation in competitions of elegance
Between 1931 and 1932, the car maker Wikov took part in competitions of elegance Consours d´Élégance in Luhačovaice and in Brno, where their registered vehicles gained the highest award, a gold ribbon.
A vehicle Wikov 35 conduite intérieure (tudor) in a competition Consours d´Élégance in Luhačovice