- Skoda’s new ‘Concepts Unmasked’ depository displays 31 concept cars, studies and prototypes.
- The new hall joins the existing ‘Sleeping Beauties’ space, lifting total extra exhibits beyond 50 vehicles.
- Visitors can access the depository only by prior reservation as part of a guided museum tour.
Skoda has opened the doors to a new behind-the-scenes exhibition space, giving visitors rare access to decades of concept cars, prototypes and design studies that rarely see the light of day.
From secret storage to showroom
Located within a historic 1913 factory hall in Mladá Boleslav, the new ‘Concepts Unmasked’ depository expands the brand’s museum offering with 31 previously hidden vehicles.
It follows the earlier ‘Sleeping Beauties’ display, together adding more than 50 exhibits to the broader collection.
Unlike traditional museum layouts, this new space leans into a more industrial, garage-style presentation. Visits are guided and require advance booking, reinforcing the sense that you’re stepping into somewhere normally off-limits.
A timeline of ideas that almost made it
The lineup spans from the late 1950s through to the present day, charting how Skoda’s thinking has evolved across decades. Some were practical experiments, while others were more speculative.
Early highlights include the 1953 973 ‘Babeta’, an off-road military prototype, and the 1963 990 NOV Combi, an estate concept that never progressed due to its complex packaging.
Later projects show how design direction shifted, such as the Italdesign-penned 720 from the late 1960s and a series of halted programmes shaped by political constraints in the 1970s.
There’s also a strong thread of “what could have been”. Multiple prototypes across the 760 and 780 series explored different layouts and body styles, but never reached production.
Concepts that shaped the cars you know
Not everything here stayed in the shadows. Several exhibits directly influenced production models.
The 2003 Roomster concept previewed a compact MPV that later became a mainstay in Skoda’s line-up. The Vision S from 2016 foreshadowed the Kodiaq SUV, while earlier studies like Vision C informed the design direction of the Superb.
More recent concepts hint at where the brand is heading. The Vision E, unveiled in 2017, signalled a move toward electrification and advanced driver assistance, while a 2023 design model previews a compact electric SUV expected to enter production shortly.
Taken together, the exhibition offers a rare look at the ideas that shaped (and sometimes missed) the production line. Not every concept becomes a car, but each one leaves a trace.
