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1910: Chomrák’s driving school is opened

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The early beginnings of the motor car were closely bound up with the invention and development of the internal combustion engine. The first car manufacturers began producing vehicles at the end of the 19th century; they included Benz in Germany and Peugeot in France. The new machines arrived in Pardubice at the beginning of the 20th century.

Pohlednice sportovních a závodních automobilů, Laurin & Klement, typ FCR, 1908

Vincenc Chomrák, kolem 1900

At the very beginning of the 20th century, the František Dvořák machine works in Pardubice tried to build its own cars, but these efforts did not last long, as the competition was very tough. In Bohemia there was the Laurin & Klement company, and major foreign competitors included Peugeot. Vincenc Chomrák (1871–1935) was a sports enthusiast, originally a cyclist, who established a business in Pardubice selling new and used cars. First he specialized in Peugeots, later adding Laurin & Klement cars to his range. In 1910 he established what was apparently the first driving school in the entire Habsburg Monarchy. Other entrepreneurs soon followed his lead, and during the inter-war period Pardubice had several car dealerships.

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Pardubice, čelní fronta starého nádraží, v popředí osobní automobily, jízdní kola a zastávka autobusů, kolem 1930

After the First World War, the number of cars and trucks on the roads grew rapidly – and this brought certain problems. As cars became faster, they made more noise, and drivers did not respect the rules of the road. Vibrations from cars also caused structural damage to buildings in Pardubice’s historic old town. There were traffic accidents, parked cars blocked roads, and even at this early stage of automotive history, Pardubice clearly needed a bypass.
Infrastructure was created for motorists – garages, parking spaces, repair shops, and an extensive network of petrol stations, which were particularly numerous in Pardubice. The local Fanto refinery flourished thanks to the growing demand for petrol. The carriage-drivers who used to transport people around the city were replaced by taxis, and during the inter-war period the state-owned post office buses laid the foundations for what eventually became a proper city public transport system.