Wikov

thumb|The factory of Wichterle & Kovářik around 1900 Wichterle & Kovářik was a Czechoslovak machinery manufacturer based in Prostějov. They produced cars and trucks from 1925 to 1937.

== Development == František Wichterle founded a small factory in Prostějov, 1878 where he built agricultural vehicles. Dr František Kovařík owned a similar company in the same town who produced similar machinery. On 22 December 1918, the two companies merged into a joint-stock company Wichterle & Kovářik Ltd. After experimenting with different prototypes, including buying a chassis from Italian engineering company Ansaldo, mass production did not begin until 1925 (or 1927 according to some sources) with the model 7/28. Production of the cars were discontinued in 1937 and continued producing small trucks until 1940 after the German occupation of Czechoslovakia during World War 2.