Homologated in Group 4, the Škoda 160 RS MTX was Czechoslovakia's most serious factory rally weapon of the early 1980s. This IXO Models 1:43 scale model car freezes a precise moment: car No. 3, crewed by V. Blahna and P. Scovanek, on the night stages of the 1984 Rally Valašská Zima in Moravia. It is the kind of historically specific subject that Western European manufacturers rarely address.
Czechoslovakia's Group 4 Contender
Developed in cooperation with MTX (Metalex) in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Škoda 160 RS MTX broke sharply from the front-engined, rear-drive layout of conventional Škoda production cars. Engineers positioned a 1.6-litre twin-cam four-cylinder unit amidships, driving the rear wheels through a purpose-built tubular spaceframe clothed in lightweight fibreglass and aluminium bodywork. In full rally tune the engine produced approximately 140–150 hp — respectable output for the class. The car competed regularly in Czechoslovak Rally Championship rounds and selected European Rally Championship events through the early 1980s.
Night Stages on Moravian Ice: Rally Valašská Zima 1984
The Rally Valašská Zima — Wallachian Winter Rally — was a fixture on the Czechoslovak Rally Championship calendar, run on snow and ice in the Zlín region of Moravia. Night special stages were central to the event's character, and competing crews fitted auxiliary driving lights, spot lamps and fog lights to cope with the conditions. Car No. 3, driven by V. Blahna with P. Scovanek as co-driver, carried this distinctive light array in 1984. IXO designates the livery "Night Version" precisely because of this additional lighting equipment, which sets the model visually apart from any standard daytime configuration of the same casting.
The 1:43 Scale Model Car by IXO Models
IXO Models is a Portuguese-registered brand with one of the broadest 1:43 die-cast catalogues in Europe, distributed widely through specialist retailers. The Škoda 160 RS MTX falls within IXO's RAC (Rally and Competition) range, with the .22 suffix indicating a distinct livery variant within the same base casting family. Construction is die-cast metal throughout. For collectors who track IXO's RAC series systematically, this Night Version variant is a necessary companion to any other 160 RS release in the same line.
Eastern Bloc Rally: A Shelf Subject with Few Rivals
The Škoda 160 RS MTX is one of the very few Czechoslovak factory rally cars to exist in serious 1:43 die-cast form, which immediately gives it rarity value on the display shelf. It pairs naturally with the Škoda 130 RS — the earlier Czechoslovak rally car produced in 1:43 by several makers — and with contemporary Eastern European competition subjects such as the Lada VFTS. For any collection focused on 1980s Iron Curtain motorsport, the 1984 Rally Valašská Zima Night Version is a historically grounded, visually distinctive addition that fills a genuine gap.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
What is the Škoda 160 RS MTX?
The Škoda 160 RS MTX was a Group 4 homologated rally car developed by Škoda in cooperation with MTX (Metalex) in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It used a mid-mounted 1.6-litre twin-cam engine driving the rear wheels, and competed in the Czechoslovak Rally Championship as well as European Rally Championship rounds.
What does 'Night Version' mean on this model?
The Night Version designation refers to the auxiliary driving lights, spot lamps and fog lights fitted to car No. 3 for the night special stages of the 1984 Rally Valašská Zima, a winter rally run on snow and ice in Moravia. IXO replicates this lighting configuration, distinguishing the model from a standard daytime casting.
Who drove car No. 3 at the 1984 Rally Valašská Zima?
Car No. 3 was driven by V. Blahna with P. Scovanek as co-driver.
What material and scale is the IXO Models Škoda 160 RS MTX?
The model is produced in die-cast metal at 1:43 scale by IXO Models, as part of the brand's RAC (Rally and Competition) range.
