Czech car manufacture Škoda (officially but less commonly known as Škoda Auto), has its beginnings in 1894, when Václav Klement, a 26-year-old bookseller in what was then part of Austria-Hungary, experienced difficulty in obtaining spare parts to repair his German-made bicycle. After receiving a less than helpful letter from the manufacturers, Klement decided to go into business for himself; he founded a bicycle repair shop in 1895 in Mladá Boleslav with Czech engineer Václav Laurin. In 1898 the pair set up their first factory, where their first product was a Slavia motorcycle, which made its debut in 1899. By 1900, Laurin-Klement had grown to a workforce of 32 and exports of the Slavia began, with an initial shipment of 150 machines for the London-based Hewtson company. Following the success of their exports, Laurin-Klement was credited by the press as the makers of the first motorcycle. Following the company's initial success, which led to international and local establishment within Austria-Hungary, Laurin-Klement began manufacturing automobiles in 1905. After much success in producing a number of vehicles, in 1924 the company suffered a setback when its factory was hit by a fire. Seeking a partner, Laurin-Klement was subsequently acquired by arms manufacturer Škoda Works. By the mid-40s, the production of Škoda's first post-war car began - the 1101 series. Production of a number of models and growing Škoda sales continued over the years and, in the 1960s, models such as the Škoda Felicia, Spartak, 445 Octavia and 1000 MB became successes internationally. Following the collapse of Communism, Škoda, along with other Czech industries, became subject to privatisation and the manufacturer subsequently partnered with Volkswagen in 1990. Škoda cars have since gone on to become a competitive product in the car manufacturing industry, though perhaps one of their greatest accomplishments is having become a familiar sight in Rally driving. Today, Škoda owns and operates a number of assembly and manufacturing plants and continues to enjoy international success, with a growing customer base seeking both new and used Škoda models