Could Koda Return to America? Automaker Trademarks Superb, Octavia, Yeti Names in U.S.

Mark Stevenson
by Mark Stevenson

America — would you buy a modern Škoda?

According to AutoGuide, Škoda submitted four separate trademark applications for “Skoda Superb”, “Superb”, “Octavia”, and “Yeti” with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on May 24 and May 25, 2016. USPTO has yet to publish them for opposition.

While this is nothing new for Škoda (the company has continually filed trademarks in America since the 1920s), it’s worth noting what the company applied to trademark compared to what it usually trademarks.

Škoda hasn’t sold a car in the United States since the early 1960s, when the then-government controlled automaker shipped its Felicia across the Atlantic for American consumption. The front-engined Felicia was a sales flop, and Škoda hasn’t been back to the U.S. market since.

From the 1920s to now, Škoda has continually protected at least one piece of intellectual property in the United States by way of trademark. In 1925, it was the Škoda logo. In the ’50s, Škoda filed to protect its name.

Yet, even though Škoda sold the Felicia in the United States, these latest filings mark the first time Škoda has filed to protect model names in America.

Aside from current names, automakers routinely file trademark applications as a way to protect names of historical products. One only needs to Google “ Barracuda” to understand an automaker’s trademark love affair does not necessarily foretell an imminent future product.

But sometimes it does.

General Motors, for instance, recently filed a trademark application for the ZR1 moniker, which the automotive press posits will be a future high-po ‘Vette. (Whether or not GM affixes the ZR1 badge to a mid-engined Corvette is another topic entirely.)

Back to Škoda, the request for trademark comes at a very tumultuous time for its parent company Volkswagen.

The Volkswagen passenger car brand has struggled for years in the United States, and that was before its recent diesel emissions scandal.

Could Volkswagen leave the U.S. market and be replaced with Škoda-badged models instead?

Could the Škoda brand be used as a way to bolster offerings from current Volkswagen dealers?

Could Škoda’s filing be a simple protection mechanism for possible future plans?

Nobody knows at this point.

But, I will say this: I’d have a Škoda in a heartbeat. Ever since watching Octavia’s get trounced in WRC year after year, Škoda has always occupied a spot in my heart for Europe’s underdog automaker.

And that’s more than I can say for Volkswagen.

Mark Stevenson
Mark Stevenson

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  • Tom Szechy Tom Szechy on Jun 01, 2016

    Some facts (straight outta Yurop): Skodas are in fact considered to be frugal VWs. They are usually (not always!) cheaper than the comparable VW models, but tend to have lower quality interior materials. Build quality is very similar though. Usually they get state-of-the-art gadgets only ~3 years after VW/Audi. Sound insulation and NVH in general are less refined than in VW/Audi models. While it's a general misconcept, Skodas are usually not larger than the comparable VW models - except for trunk size. They do offer different option packages though, again more on the frugal side. I've driven a Mk2 Octavia hatchback for ~100k miles and a Mk6 Golf Wagon (SportWagen) for ~50k miles. They had different powertrains, but were essentially the same experience. Finally a couple of model comparisons (VW - Skoda pairs): - Polo - Fabia (almost exactly the same size in 5dr hatchback version; Skoda offers a sedan /called Rapid/ and a wagon too) - Golf - Octavia (same interior size, although the Octavia is a sedan-looking 5dr hatch, with a large trunk; Wagons are exactly the same size, the Golf wagon has a slightly larger (!) trunk) - Passat - Superb (Superb has longer wheelbase and therefore larger rear legroom; also, the Superb feels much more "yesteryear" than the Passat) The Jetta doesn't have a respective Skoda model - no, it's NOT the Octavia. The Yeti doesn't have a respective VW model (Tiguan is larger). The new (yet-to-be-shown) Kodiaq SUV will most probably have to do something with the VW CrossBlue SUV - or whatever its name will be.

  • Threeer Threeer on Jun 01, 2016

    I sat in the Rapid Space back at the auto show in Zagreb a few weeks ago and really liked it...not that it will ever make it to U.S. shores...

  • CanadaCraig You can just imagine how quickly the tires are going to wear out on a 5,800 lbs AWD 2024 Dodge Charger.
  • Luke42 I tried FSD for a month in December 2022 on my Model Y and wasn’t impressed.The building-blocks were amazing but sum of the all of those amazing parts was about as useful as Honda Sensing in terms of reducing the driver’s workload.I have a list of fixes I need to see in Autopilot before I blow another $200 renting FSD. But I will try it for free for a month.I would love it if FSD v12 lived up to the hype and my mind were changed. But I have no reason to believe I might be wrong at this point, based on the reviews I’ve read so far. [shrug]. I’m sure I’ll have more to say about it once I get to test it.
  • FormerFF We bought three new and one used car last year, so we won't be visiting any showrooms this year unless a meteor hits one of them. Sorry to hear that Mini has terminated the manual transmission, a Mini could be a fun car to drive with a stick.It appears that 2025 is going to see a significant decrease in the number of models that can be had with a stick. The used car we bought is a Mk 7 GTI with a six speed manual, and my younger daughter and I are enjoying it quite a lot. We'll be hanging on to it for many years.
  • Oberkanone Where is the value here? Magna is assembling the vehicles. The IP is not novel. Just buy the IP at bankruptcy stage for next to nothing.
  • Jalop1991 what, no Turbo trim?
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