Eliška Junková
Automobile racer (1900 - 1994)

Eliška Junková was born in Olomouc to the family of a [     ] master. In the 1920s, she was the fastest woman in the world and the only woman in Grand Prix history to deal with [     ]. At the age of sixteen, she started working in a branch of the Prague Credit Bank where she met her future husband, who was [     ]. Her dream was to travel to [     ], but the plans fell through, the officials did not want to give a visa to a young girl [     ]. After their wedding in 1922, at the Paris Motor Show, the newlywed Juneks met Ettore Bugatti and persuaded him to [    ].  Eliška raced with her husband as his co-driver. She loved both racing and driving herself, and she passed her driving test secretly before she was married. Then she surprised her husband when she [     ]. Čenek Junek was a former soldier, athlete and extremely successful banker. Thanks to this, the Juneks could afford  [     ]. At her first race at the Nurnburgring, Eliška didn't have [     ]. She started in the three-liter class, and her Bugatti only had a two liter engine. However, Eliška managed to win her class after a dramatic fight. It was a shock to everyone. The organizers did not have the Czechoslovak anthem, so they improvised and played [     ]. Eliška achieved one of her most important victories in Sicily in the Targa Florio race, which was run on five circuits, each of which measured 108 km and most of which was [     ]. At the time, this race was considered the most difficult in the world. After the death of her husband, she stopped actively pursuing a racing career and decided to make a previously planned trip to Ceylon. The owner of Bugatti provided her with a brand new car and asked her to explore [   ] during her trip. In 1933, the Baťa company started producing tires for passenger cars as well, and Eliška started working there in [     ] . Although she was [     ], her requests to leave Czechoslovakia after 1948 were constantly denied. She was allowed to travel only in 1966 for [     ].

Eliška Junková was born in Olomouc to the family of a kung fu master. In the 1920s, she was the fastest woman in the world and the only woman in Grand Prix history to deal with people's ignorance. At the age of sixteen, she started working in a branch of the Prague Credit Bank where she met her future husband, who was working there as janitor. Her dream was to travel to Slovakia, but the plans fell through, the officials did not want to give a visa to a young girl in spite. After their wedding in 1922, at the Paris Motor Show, the newlywed Juneks met Ettore Bugatti and persuaded him to change his hairstyle. Eliška raced with her husband as his co-driver. She loved both racing and driving herself, and she passed her driving test secretly before she was married. Then she surprised her husband when she drove to fetch him a beer. Čenek Junek was a former soldier, athlete and extremely successful banker. Thanks to this, the Juneks could afford heated car seats and airconditioning. At her first race at the Nurnburgring, Eliška didn't have anything to wear. She started in the three-liter class, and her Bugatti only had a two liter engine. However, Eliška managed to win her class after a dramatic fight. It was a shock to everyone. The organizers did not have the Czechoslovak anthem, so they improvised and played jingle from Top Gear. Eliška achieved one of her most important victories in Sicily in the Targa Florio race, which was run on five circuits, each of which measured 108 km and most of which was utterly uninteresting landscape. At the time, this race was considered the most difficult in the world. After the death of her husband, she stopped actively pursuing a racing career and decided to make a previously planned trip to Ceylon. The owner of Bugatti provided her with a brand new car and asked her to explore Jay Leno's garage during her trip. In 1933, the Baťa company started producing tires for passenger cars as well, and Eliška started working there in rubber stamp assembly line. Although she was very precise in filling our paperwork, her requests to leave Czechoslovakia after 1948 were constantly denied. She was allowed to travel only in 1966 for a few minutes.

Eliška Junková was born in Olomouc to the family of a master locksmith. In the 1920s, she was the fastest woman in the world and the only woman in Grand Prix history to match the competition's best male drivers. At the age of sixteen, she started working in a branch of the Prague Credit Bank where she met her future husband, who was her boss. Her dream was to travel to Sri Lanka, but the plans fell through, the officials did not want to give a visa to a young girl from the newly formed state of Czechoslovakia. After their wedding in 1922, at the Paris Motor Show, the newlywed Juneks met Ettore Bugatti and persuaded him to sell them one of his first cars. Eliška raced with her husband as his co-driver. She loved both racing and driving herself, and she passed her driving test in secret before she was married. Then she surprised her husband when she drove away with his car. Čenek Junek was a former soldier, athlete and extremely successful banker. Thanks to this, the Juneks could afford to compete on the international stage as well. At her first race at the Nurnburgring, Eliška didn't have much of a chance. She started in the three-liter class, and her Bugatti only had a two liter engine. However, Eliška managed to win her class after a dramatic fight. It was a shock to everyone. The organizers did not have the Czechoslovak anthem, so they improvised and played Let us Rejoice from the Bartered Bride. Eliška achieved one of her most important victories in Sicily in the Targa Florio race, which was run on five circuits, each of which measured 108 km and most of which was on gravel roads. At the time, this race was considered the most difficult in the world. After the death of her husband, she stopped actively pursuing a racing career and decided to make a previously planned trip to Ceylon. The owner of Bugatti provided her with a brand new car and asked her to explore the possibility of exporting cars to India and Sri Lanka during her trip. In 1933, the Baťa company started producing tires for passenger cars as well, and Eliška started working there in the management of the sales department. Although she was an international celebrity, her requests to leave Czechoslovakia after 1948 were constantly denied. She was allowed to travel only in 1966 for a commemorative drive in the Targa Florio race.

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