Jan Králík (1954)

PhDr. Jan Králík has been engaged in the history of motoring for 25 years, first as an editor of Svět Motorů weekly, from 1985 as a free-lance publicist. His first book "A přeci se točí" presented twenty collectors of historical vehicles. The book "Peklo zvané Paříž - Alžír - Dakar" was inspired by the participation in the African competition, further books were then devoted without exception to the history of engineering. The history of the Mladá Boleslav car factory (co-written with Petr Kožíšek) was published in a double-volume book in two editions: "L&K - Škoda, I.díl Cesta vzhůru, II.díl Let okřídleného šípu". Together with Petr Vrátil he wrote the book "Století nejrychlejších vozů Škoda". The earliest history of the domestic motoring before 1918 is treated in the book "Když začal vonět benzín", the book "Od telegrafu k internetu" is devoted to the history of telephone. "Autosalony v srdci Evropy" outlines the beginnings and development of Czech motor shows from 1904. He wrote about the production of Jawa cars, the 100-year history of the Czech autoclub, presence of the company Bosch in the Czech Lands dating from 1899. As a scriptwriter he prepared several exhibitions and different audiovisual programs, he is a Vice Editor in Chief at Motor Journal monthly devoted to the history of motoring. The cooperation with Vladimír Svoboda belonged to happy ones. They wrote the "History of Eberspächer in the Czech Lands" describing a long and dramatic path to have been taken in getting the heat to the car´s interior. To their own surprise, they discovered that the Eberspächer marque came to Czechia already 100 years ago.