VOLKSWAGEN has taken complete control of the Czech car maker Skoda, increasing its shareholding from 70 per cent to 100 per cent, writes David Duffy.

The VW board agreed to buy the remaining 30 per cent share from the Czech Government for about 216m. The alliance between VW and Skoda began nine years ago when Volkswagen took a 31 per cent share in the firm.

The move came as latest figures showed worldwide sales of the Czech cars hitting a new peak.

Skoda has increased its global sales by 9.2 per cent to 98,676 vehicles in the first quarter of 2000.

The figure includes 45,361 Felicia, 22,456 Octavia hatch, 15,444 Octavia estate (up 38.8 per cent) and 10,037 new Fabia small hatchback.

The firm said the newly-launched Fabia has been well received and in addition to cars already sold, more than 25,000 orders have been taken.

Western Europe accounted for more than half of all Skoda sales at 55,053 units, an increase of 14.9 per cent on the same period last year.

Germany continues to be Skoda's largest export market with sales for the first three months up 27.2 per cent to 15,528 vehicles. Total sales for the year in Germany are expected reach an all time high of 70,000 vehicles.

Other markets which have shown significant growth are the UK, up 14 per cent to 7,748 vehicles; Austria, up 18.5 per cent to 4,892 vehicles; and France, up 7.2 per cent to 3114 vehicles.

Skoda has also increased sales in its home market, the Czech Republic, from 16,708 to 18,261, up 9.3 per cent.

Although sales were down slightly in neighbouring Slovakia on the, Skoda's market share has increased from 54.1 to 55.4 per cent.

Total worldwide sales for 2000 are planned at 440,000 vehicles, an increase of 14 per cent on the 1999 result.