Škoda no longer available in Malta as local agents move out of automobile business

New Škoda vehicles are no longer available for purchase in Malta, with the Czech make’s local representative Frank Borda Ltd moving out of the automobile market to focus on appliances.

The company’s Ta’ Xbiex showroom is currently closed after being cleared out in early September.

Calls to the showroom were diverted to another section of Frank Borda Ltd’s Gala complex, where a company representative confirmed that the company has no plans to reopen Škoda showroom as it is instead refocusing its efforts on the domestic appliances market.

Attempts to contact company CEO Paul Borda were unsuccessful.

In response to questions sent by BusinessNow.mt, a Škoda representative stated that “Škoda in Malta is unfortunately temporarily unavailable at the moment.”

Purchase enquiries were directed to Italian dealers operating in Comiso and Catania, in Sicily.

The company is not abandoning the Maltese market though, with the company saying: “We are looking forward to come back to Malta in the upcoming year.”

This opens up an opportunity for local car dealers to be the make’s new local agents.

Clear frontrunner is Mizzi Motors’ Continental Cars, which already represents other Volkswagen AG brands, including Audi, Porsche, SEAT and Cupra, apart from Volkswagen itself.

However, both Mizzi Motors and Continental Cars were tight-lipped about any plans to bring Škoda back to Malta.

The Czech make had been set up as an arms manufacturer in 1859, before making the shift to vehicle production. It became a full subsidiary of the German Volkwagen AG in 2000.