CZECH REPUBLIC: Škoda Group will unveil a new name and visual identity at InnoTrans 2028 before completing its rebranding and retiring the current brand by June 2029.

Škoda RegioPanter train displayed outdoors at InnoTrans 2014
A Škoda RegioPanter train displayed at InnoTrans 2014; this illustrative image does not depict the planned 2028 brand reveal. Photo: julienghien1 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0.

New identity will debut at InnoTrans

Škoda Group has selected Czech strategic branding agency Dynamo design to create the new brand, trading name, visual identity and rollout guidelines for the Plzeň-based transport manufacturer.

The company’s official announcement schedules the public unveiling for InnoTrans in September 2028 and sets June 2029 as the latest date for the full transition. Specialist naming agency Name & Fame will lead the process of finding the replacement name.

Until the reveal, the manufacturer will continue operating under the Škoda name and winged-arrow identity. The new name and design have not yet been disclosed.

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Trademark agreement defines the cutoff

The transition follows a trademark agreement announced by PPF Group and Škoda Auto in June 2022. Under the agreement, Škoda Group may use the name and winged-arrow logo until 2029, after which the automotive company will have exclusive use of them.

PPF said the deal was intended to end trademark disputes and reduce frequent confusion between the Mladá Boleslav carmaker and the Plzeň engineering business. The parties did not disclose the financial terms.

The agreement also states that the rebranding will not affect existing, pending or future orders placed with Škoda Group, including Škoda Transportation.

Winged arrow began on locomotives

The winged-arrow mark was registered in December 1923, the Škoda wording was added in 1937, and the Mladá Boleslav carmaker has used the name since 1925.

Škoda Auto’s account of the emblem’s history dates its registration to 15 December 1923. It says the three-feathered design first appeared on locomotives manufactured in Plzeň before reaching cars after the 1925 merger with Laurin & Klement.

The June 2029 transition will coincide with the 170th anniversary of the industrial history that Škoda Group traces to the former Škoda Works.

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