Skoda Octavia: ‘It’s a lot more than a budget Golf’ | Martin Love

As Skoda's bestselling model the Octavia celebrates its 60th birthday, it's worth remembering why it has become such a firm favourite on British roads

Skoda Octavia
Price 18,610
0-62mph 9.9 seconds
Top speed 128mph
MPG 52.3
CO2 108g/km
Eco score a...a...a...a...a

I've never been one of those people who mix up their lefts and rights. But today I'm struggling. I'm sitting at the wheel of a beautiful yellow Skoda 422. It was made in 1929 and is the kind of motor you imagine you'd arrive at the opera in and step out wearing tails and a neatly waxed moustache. But the car was, in fact, the smallest and most affordable car to drive out of the Mladi Boleslav factory gates. Life must have been very grand back then. It has a 1.2-litre engine that generates just 22hp, a three-speed gearbox and a top speed of 47mph. But, and this is where it gets confusing, its pedals are in the wrong order - the brake and throttle are reversed. And it's quite hair-raising to step on the brake and find yourself speeding up"