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Sunday, 11 December 2005 |
In 1898, Jacobus and Hendrik-Jan Spijker, coach builders in Amsterdam, pioneered their first Benz-engined automobile, and won immediate acclaim for the craftsmanship of their body work. The construction of the Golden State Coach in 1898, a gift from the citizens of Amsterdam, to commemorate the forthcoming inauguration of Queen Wilhelmina in 1901, and still in use today, marked the turning point from their coach building activities to car manufacturing. Subsequentally, the brothers registered their business under the name Spyker, written with a Y for easier recognition in foreign markets.
The 1903 60-hp Grand Prix racer was an important historical milestone, featuring the world's first six-cylinder engine as well as well as permanent four-wheel-drive. Other Spyker models followed: with their characteristic circular radiators, they enjoyed particular success in Britain and the Dutch East Indies. A second place in the gruelling 1907 Peking-Paris raid put Spyker firmly on the international map. After a temporary switch to aviation in the period or 1914-1918, during which the company constructed 100 fighter aircraft and 200 aircraft engines, car production resumed in 1919, with terms of character and build quality, supplied to royalty around the globe.
Nulla tenaci invia est via (for the enacious no road is unpassable) was also introduced on the radiator badges of Spyker products. The ultimate Maybach-engined C4 model enjoyed recognition as the Rolls Royce of the Continent, but also proved its sporty character by setting the Brooklands double-twelve speed record in 1922, clocking an average speed of 119 km/h in the hands of S.F. Edge. The last Spyker cars were built in 1925, after which the company ceased trading. Its racing and aviation heritage is now passed on to the new Spyker C8 sportscar.
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 09 July 2006 )
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