Spyker (automaker)

The logo since the mid-1910s

The Spijker Brothers' Golden Carriage from 1898

Spyker 7 HP from 1912

Spyker C4 from 1922

Spyker [ ˈspɛi̯ːkəʁ ] was an automobile manufacturer in the Netherlands , founded in 1880 as a coach builder and dissolved in 1926.

The most famous vehicle from this manufacturer is the so-called Golden Carriage , which the monarchs of the Netherlands use to drive to the opening of Parliament every year , a gift from citizens to Wilhelmina on her enthronement in 1898.

history

From Hilversum originating brothers, forging and Kutschenbauer Jacobus and Hendrik-Jan Spijker established in Amsterdam a company specializing in exclusive cars manufactured under the name Spijker . With the focus on the important international markets, the family name Spijker (German: Nagel) was soon changed to the trade name Spyker (see also IJ ). After automobiles from Carl Benz were initially sold under the name Spyker-Benz , the Spyker 5 HP was the company's first real in-house production in 1900 .

In the winter of 1903/1904, the Spyker 60 HP , which was originally intended to take part in the race from Paris to Madrid in 1903, was the first six-cylinder and the first automobile with a gasoline engine and all-wheel drive .

In 1907 Charles Goddard successfully finished the Beijing-Paris race with a Spyker.

During the First World War , the luxury car business collapsed and Spyker was merged with an aircraft manufacturer. Between 1914 and 1918, nearly 100 were aircraft for aerial combat and 200 aircraft engines of the brand Spyker produced. After the war, automobile production began again soon. Hugo Baron van Pallandt won the 1922 hill climb on Mont de la Turbie near Monte Carlo with the Spyker C4 model , which was equipped with a six-cylinder Maybach and was called "Tenax" . Despite all the racing successes and an excellent reputation (the C4 was often referred to as the " Rolls-Royce of the continent" in the UK , for example ), car production was discontinued in 1925 due to a lack of corresponding orders and on May 26, 1926 the company was completely dissolved by auction . By then she had built around 1,500 cars and had over 100 patents on her name.

In 1999, two Dutch businessmen acquired the Spyker brand and founded the new company Spyker Cars to manufacture sports cars.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Koningin een keer per jaar extravagant in Gouden Koets ( Dutch ) Radio Nederland Wereldomroep . September 19, 2010. Archived from the original on September 22, 2010. Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved December 16, 2012.  
2. ^ Spyker 60-HP four-wheel drive racing car . Louwman Museum . Accessed on December 16, 2012.  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  

Web links

Commons : Spyker  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Spyker Cars - Heritage (English)
• Ritzsite - Spyker: one century of exotic cars (English)