Spyker
Encyclopedia
Spyker was a Dutch
car manufacturer, started in 1880 by coachbuilders Jacobus and Hendrik-Jan Spijker, but to be able to market the brand better in foreign countries, in 1903 the 'ij' was changed into 'y'. They were originally based in Hilversum
but in 1898 moved to Trompenburg, Amsterdam
.
In 1898 Spyker manufactured the "Golden Carriage", still in use by the Dutch Queen
today.
In 1899 they started building automobile
s and in 1900 put their first models on display, two-cylinder 3 hp and 5 hp similar to the Benz. Four-cylinder models were introduced in 1903, along with the six-cylinder Spyker 60 HP, a racer with the world's first ever four-wheel drive
car with a single engine and four-wheel brake
s. An engine with six cylinders was also a world's first.
The 1905 cars featured a round radiator grille which became a feature of many of the pre war cars. In 1913 the company was having financial problems again and in 1915 was taken over by new owners and renamed Nederlandsche Automobiel en Vliegtuigfabriek Trompenburg (Dutch Car and Aircraft company). Under the new owners, the previous complex model range was simplified and a new car, the 13/30 C1, introduced; sales were disappointing. In 1907, an 18 hp model successfully competed in the Peking to Paris
race.
Hendrik-Jan Spijker died in 1907 when the ferry he was on when returning from England sank, and this loss led to the bankruptcy of the original company. A group of investors bought the company and restarted production, but Jacobus Spijker was no longer involved.
During World War I, in which the Netherlands were neutral, they manufactured aeroplanes and aircraft engine
s.
In 1922 the company went bankrupt again and was acquired by Spyker's distributor in Britain who renamed the company Spyker Automobielfabriek. Production continued and prices dropped but the company continued to decline. Final production was of the C2 two-ton truck and the C4 car which lasted until 1926 when funds finally ran out.
It is estimated total Spyker car production was at most 2000 cars.
In 1999, a new company, Spyker Cars
was founded, unrelated to the original company but for the brand name.
postage stamp
s (first day of issue
: May 10, 2004).
The car driven by Kenneth More
in the 1953 film Genevieve
, about the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
, is a 1904 Spyker.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
car manufacturer, started in 1880 by coachbuilders Jacobus and Hendrik-Jan Spijker, but to be able to market the brand better in foreign countries, in 1903 the 'ij' was changed into 'y'. They were originally based in Hilversum
Hilversum
is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Located in the region called "'t Gooi", it is the largest town in that area. It is surrounded by heathland, woods, meadows, lakes, and smaller villages...
but in 1898 moved to Trompenburg, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
.
In 1898 Spyker manufactured the "Golden Carriage", still in use by the Dutch Queen
Beatrix of the Netherlands
Beatrix is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands comprising the Netherlands, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and Aruba. She is the first daughter of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. She studied law at Leiden University...
today.
In 1899 they started building automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s and in 1900 put their first models on display, two-cylinder 3 hp and 5 hp similar to the Benz. Four-cylinder models were introduced in 1903, along with the six-cylinder Spyker 60 HP, a racer with the world's first ever four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
car with a single engine and four-wheel brake
Brake
A brake is a mechanical device which inhibits motion. Its opposite component is a clutch. The rest of this article is dedicated to various types of vehicular brakes....
s. An engine with six cylinders was also a world's first.
The 1905 cars featured a round radiator grille which became a feature of many of the pre war cars. In 1913 the company was having financial problems again and in 1915 was taken over by new owners and renamed Nederlandsche Automobiel en Vliegtuigfabriek Trompenburg (Dutch Car and Aircraft company). Under the new owners, the previous complex model range was simplified and a new car, the 13/30 C1, introduced; sales were disappointing. In 1907, an 18 hp model successfully competed in the Peking to Paris
Peking to Paris
The Peking to Paris motor race was a race held in 1907 for automobiles between Peking , China and Paris, France, a distance of 9,317 miles or 14,994 km....
race.
Hendrik-Jan Spijker died in 1907 when the ferry he was on when returning from England sank, and this loss led to the bankruptcy of the original company. A group of investors bought the company and restarted production, but Jacobus Spijker was no longer involved.
During World War I, in which the Netherlands were neutral, they manufactured aeroplanes and aircraft engine
Aircraft engine
An aircraft engine is the component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines...
s.
In 1922 the company went bankrupt again and was acquired by Spyker's distributor in Britain who renamed the company Spyker Automobielfabriek. Production continued and prices dropped but the company continued to decline. Final production was of the C2 two-ton truck and the C4 car which lasted until 1926 when funds finally ran out.
It is estimated total Spyker car production was at most 2000 cars.
In 1999, a new company, Spyker Cars
Spyker Cars
Spyker Cars is a Dutch sports car marque. The modern Spyker Cars only has the legal right to the brand name. The company's motto is "Nulla tenaci invia est via", which is Latin for "For the tenacious, no road is impassable". The marque's logo displays the piston engine of an airplane, a reference...
was founded, unrelated to the original company but for the brand name.
Car models
| Vehicle | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Spijker 3 hp | 1900–1902 | 2-cylinder |
| Spijker 5 hp | 1900-1900 | |
| Spijker 5 hp | 1900-1900 | boxer engine |
| Spijker 6 hp | 1902-1902 | water-cooled engine. |
| Spijker 10/12 | 1903-1903 | 2-cylinder |
| Spyker 20/24 | 1903–1904 | 4-cylinder |
| Spijker 36/50 | 1903-1903 | 6-cylinder 5073 cc |
| Spyker 60/80 | 1903–1907 | 6-cylinder 8821 cc |
| Spyker 16/20 | 1903–1907 | 4-cylinder |
| Spyker 30/36 | 1903–1907 | |
| Spyker 14/18 | 1904–1907 | 4-cylinder 2544 cc |
| Spyker 20/28 | 1904–1907 | 4-cylinder |
| Spyker 25/36 | 1904–1905 | 4-cylinder 7964 cc. Fourwheel drive option. |
| Spyker 32/40 | 1904–1905 | 4-cylinder. Fourwheel drive option. |
| Spyker 15/22 | 1905–1907 | 4-cylinder 3456 cc. |
| Spyker 10/15 | 1907-1907 | 4-cylinder. |
| Spyker 15/22 | 1907-1907 | 4-cylinder 2799 cc. |
| Spyker 20/30 | 1907-1907 | 4-cylinder 4562 cc. |
| Spyker 30/42 | 1907-1907 | 4-cylinder 6902 cc. |
| Spyker 40/80 | 1907-1907 | 4-cylinder 10603 cc. |
| Spyker 15/22 | 1907–1910 | 4-cylinder 2799 cc. |
| Spyker 60/80 | 1909-1909 | 4-cylinder. |
| Spyker 10/15 | 1910–1912 | 4-cylinder. Delivery van. |
| Spyker 15/25 | 1910–1912 | 4-cylinder. Delivery van. |
| Spyker 12 | 1910–1914 | 4-cylinder. |
| Spyker 16 | 1910–1912 | 4-cylinder. |
| Spyker 18 | 1910–1912 | 4-cylinder. |
| Spyker 25 | 1910–1912 | 4-cylinder. 4589 cc. |
| Spyker 25/30 | 1911–1912 | 6-cylinder. |
| Spyker 20 | 1912–1916 | 4-cylinder. 3435 cc. |
| Spyker 30 | 1912–1916 | 4-cylinder. 6082 cc. |
| Spyker 40 | 1912–1916 | 6-cylinder. 7238 cc. |
| Spyker 14 | 1913–1916 | 4-cylinder. |
| Spyker 12 | 1914–1916 | 4-cylinder. 1795 cc. |
| Spyker 13/30 C1 | 1916–1921 | 4-cylinder. 3560 cc. |
| Spyker 14/34 C1 | 1920–1921 | 4-cylinder. 3562 cc. |
| Spyker C2 | 1916–1925 | 4-cylinder. 4607 cc. Two ton truck. |
| Spyker 30/40 C4 | 1920–1925 | 6-cylinder Maybach Maybach Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH is a German luxury car manufacturer. It was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son. The company was originally a subsidiary of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH and was itself known as Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH until 1912.Today, the ultra-luxury car brand is owned by... engine. 5742 cc. |
Spyker stamps
Both Spyker brand automobiles appear on DutchNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s (first day of issue
First day of issue
A First Day of Issue Cover or First Day Cover is a postage stamp on a cover, postal card or stamped envelope franked on the first day the issue is authorized for use within the country or territory of the stamp-issuing authority. Sometimes the issue is made from a temporary or permanent foreign or...
: May 10, 2004).
The car driven by Kenneth More
Kenneth More
Kenneth Gilbert More CBE was a highly successful English film actor during the post-World War II era and starred in many feature films, often in the role of an archetypal carefree and happy-go-lucky middle-class gentleman.-Early life:Kenneth More was born in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, the...
in the 1953 film Genevieve
Genevieve (film)
Genevieve is a 1953 British comedy film produced and directed by Henry Cornelius and written by William Rose. It starred John Gregson, Dinah Sheridan, Kenneth More and Kay Kendall as two couples comedically involved in a vintage automobile rally...
, about the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is the longest-running motoring event in the world. The first run was in 1896, and has taken place most years since then. To qualify, the cars must have been built before 1905...
, is a 1904 Spyker.