It might not

be a joke . . .

SKODA to take over Rolls Royce! It is not that far from the truth, writes Globe motoring editor Robin Bird.

For Volkswagen, which has Skoda under its wing, is involved in a bitter battle with fellow German rival BMW to buy that famous of all British marques, Rolls Royce.

And, Skoda has just been awarded top marks for customer satisfaction. For the first time since J.D. Power and BBC's Top Gear began monitoring UK motorists' satisfaction with their cars, a European manufacturer emerged as the highest ranked marque.

Skoda with shares top marks with sister VW company Seat. So, Skoda jokes have been overtaken by a top award for reliability. Meanwhile, Skoda continues to prove its reliability in the rally world as driven by Mark Cowell, of Thingwall, in the Skoda Trophy Rally for Felicias.

For more on Skoda contact Wallasey Car Centre.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.