The first two-door version of the Skoda Octavia left the main plant in Mlada Boleslav in January 1959 - alongside its predecessors S 440 and S 445 for the first few weeks. Under the hood of the Octavia, a robust four-cylinder engine with a capacity of 1.1 litres was used, generating 40bhp and driving the rear wheels via a four-speed gearbox.

The top speed was 110km/h; the average consumption was 12.9km/L. The attractive, flowing body design was just as impressive as its driving characteristics. Technical innovations, including the front axle with coil springs and torsion bar stabiliser, gave the Octavia a high degree of ride comfort and easy handling.

The introduction of asymmetric headlamps during 1959 increased its active safety. Skoda also presented a more powerful variant in 1959 with the Octavia Super, featuring a 1.2-litre engine and a peak output of 45bhp. With more than six million Octavias of all generations sold, the model series is by far the bestseller in the Skoda range.