Spyker at the Louwman Collection

[basman007]

Spyker - Pure Passion

home to the biggest collection of classic Spykers. There were 11 Spykers of only a handfull (16?) still in existance. I want to make a little write-up on all the Spykers from mister Louwman and post a couple of pictures I took.





The Spyker Dowry

In 1898 Hendrik-Jan and Jacobus Spijker decided to start the production of motorcars. They founded the limited company 'Trompenburg' based in Amsterdam wich attained world fame in this industry. However they already had acquired a considerable reputation as carriage builders. 'The Royal Golden Carriage' built by the Spyker brothers is without doubt the highlight of that period. This carriage was a gift of the citizens of Amsterdam to HRH Princess Wilhelmina. In 1898 designing and building of car bodies commenced and the actual car production started in earnest from 1903. The end came in 1926 when sales figures had dropped dramatically and forced the company to cease business. Total production figures are estimated to be between 1500 and 2000 Spyker models, however only 14 motorcars and (1 or) 2 trucks still remain in existance. The Louwman Collection owns 12 examples.




1906 Spyker 14/18 HP Double Pheaton

The brothers Jacobus and Hendrik-Jan Spijker set up as coachbuilders in in Hilversum in 1880. Six years later they moved to Amsterdam, because they're business grew rapidly. In 1898 Jacobus bought his first car, a German Benz, and soon the brothers were offering an improved version under their own name, wich they changed to Spyker with an eye on the international market. Early in 1900 the brothers unveiled the first true Spyker car, a 5 HP twin-cilinder, wich went into production in a magnificent new factory at Trompenburg, on the outskirts of Amsterdam, but sales never came up to expectations as the Dutch preferred to buy imported cars.

This 2,544 cc 14/18 HP Double Pheaton had a pressed steel chassis with solid axles and 5 half elliptic leaf springs, one placed transverse in the rear. The top speed was about 60 kph.
The new round radiator front (actually introduced in 1905) was to become a Spyker trademark and followed the luxury-class fashion of that era. The radiator itself was of the modern honeycomb-type.





1905 Spyker 12/16 HP Double Pheaton

The years 1904 and 1905 were succesful for the Spyker automobiles where they excelled in various races and rallies. In the 'Foley Sand Races' a Spyker won two gold medals and in the 'Brighton Speed Trials' one gold and one silver medal were won. Another first was achieved during the 'Dunstable and Luton Dust Trials'. At that period the Dutch Spyker car manufacturers had set up distribution for their cars in UK, France, Germany, Austria and North America. In 1904 some important changes to the car were made; a new cooling system with the characteristic round honeycomb radiator was added and the chassis was now constructed out of solid steel instead of partly being built with ash. This construction protected the occupants fromt dust and dirt, giving the cars it's popular name of 'the Dustless Spyker'.

This particular model is world famous for its role in the classic 1953 movie "Genevieve" about the London to Brighton Run. It was co-star to the Genevieve-named Darracq.

[basman007]

1907 Spyker 15/22 HP Double Pheaton

This motorcar from 1907 succeeded the succesful 14/18 HP model and had several technical improvements fitted. An important change to the engine was the introduction of the low pressure lubrication system. The driver was now able to control the flow of oil to the engine valves from buttons placed on the dashboard. This system reduced the oil consumption with about 80% wich, in turn, decreased the harmful exhaust fumes customary to the motorcar at that time, considerably. In those years it was quite common to purchase a new car as a chassis with the engine and then let the buyer decide wich coachbuilder was going to supply the body. Spyker obviously had a choice of various types of coaches available of wich this model is of the 'Double Pheaton' type wich stands for a luxe 4-seater cabriolet. Spyker built this motorcar specially for their UK market.





1907 Spyker 15/22 HP Landaulette

The 10/15 HP was followed by a new 15/22 HP. It still had the bi-bloc 4-cylinder engine, now with 2799 cc capacity, but it was fitted with the modern semi forced-flow lubrication system. On these pictures you see the new 1907 15/22 HP Spyker with landaulette bodywork built by Rothschild.
The 15/22 HP was a mid-range luxury car that was quite successful. The small 10/15 HP was a special model: it was purposeful developed as a taxi for the English market. It was one of the few taxis on the market at that time with a 4-cylinder engine, most had 2-cylinder engines. This taxi became reasonably popular because of its well-built bodywork and roomy passenger compartment that could seat four.

[basman007]

1911 Spyker 18/27 HP Roadster

During october 1907 Spyker was given a moratorium for their serious cash flow problems. It was definately not the quality of the car what cause it, but badly run marketing management did not help matters. On top of that their French distributor reneged on an earlier that year placed order for 500 vehicles for wich the factory had bought in all parts and material. Troughout its years of production Spyker delivered an avarage of about 100 cars per year with 1906 as theur top year with 250 cars! Early 1908 Spyker was given the opportunity for a restart and was fortunate to employ the brilliant technical engineer Laviolette from Belgium. He introduced the transverse camshaft operated trough a worm-drive system for a new four cylinder engine. This design reduced the engine noise considerably. An accolade of approval for the factory was the purchase of a 24/50 HP Landaulette by H.R.M Queen Wilhelmina of The Netherlands.




1912 Spyker 7 HP Two-Seater

Not only a new line of cars was introduced in 1907; it was also a critical year for the Spyker. Investments weren't in relation to the profits, luxury cars became less popular and important orders were cancelled due to an economic recession. All this lead to a difficult financial situation for the Spyker.
Because of this Hendrik Jan Spyker decided to return from the East Indies at the end of 1906, but first he visited a business partner in England. This proved to be a disaster because the ferry from England to Holland on which he and his business partner traveled, the "Berlin", was wrecked just before the Dutch coast and so Hendrik Jan Spyker died on February 20, 1907.
All this lead to the bankruptcy of the Industrial Company Trompenburg, the manufacturer of Spyker cars, in 1908. Jacobus Spyker wasn't able to raise the money to continue his company, but an other group of investors did. Jacobus Spijker had to leave his company and his villa, which belonged to the company, and that was an undeserved faith for this industrial pioneer.

Under new management and with new finance Spyker resumed production 1908 and in 1909 produced it's biggest ever model, the 10,5 litre 50/60 HP. But the demand for smaller, more economical cars was alot bigger and the 50/60 HP only lasted a year in production. To respond to this demand for light cars Trompenburg produced this prototype 7 HP twin cylinder car designed by Joseph Laviolettein 1912 in response to a forecast by the executive director that it would be possible to sell at least 100 of them. But the financiers of the factory disagreed and the project never went further than two prototypes.





1919 Spyker 13/30 HP C1 Torpedo Touring

The First World War saw Spyker - yet again under new management - concentrate on aircraft construction. It also gained a distinctive logo in the shape of an aircraft propeller overlaying a wheel and the Latin motto "Nulla Tenaci Invia Est Via" ("no road is impossible to the tenacious"). With the return of peace Spyker decided to concentrate on one luxury model and introduced the C1 13/30 HP wich was originally designed in 1916. Even with a 3,6 litre four-cylinder engine it proved underpowered, though one C1 chassis was fitted with a wonderful aeroplane-inspired sporting body complete with vertical tailfin. The C1 remained in production for only two years. Three of the 330 cars produced were sold HRM Queen Wilhelmina of The Netherlands.

[basman007]

1921 Spyker C2 Truck Chassis

The Spyker factory ahd allways produced commercial vehicles, allthough in small numbers. The last model produced was this 2-ton C2 chassis. It is a sturdy but conervative design with a Continental engine wich they imported from the USA. The Spyker chassis was still equipped with solid tyres and the load capacity was 2 tons net. The high selling price for the chassis in comparison with what the competition could offer (partly caused by the imported engines) and its outdated design kept the sales numbers far below expectations. At the demise of the company, in 1926, many unsold chassis were still in stock. Eventually they were sold at a bottom price but found good use in the Dutch Army and various Fire Brigades in The Netherlands and have been used years as the C2 was a solid and reliable truck.





1924 Spyker C4 30/40 HP Standard Torpedo Cabriolet

Again Spyker was hit by financial problems and the well known Dutch constructor Frits Koolhoven, who had worked for the Belgium car manufacturers Minerva before, could not change the company's problems with his new design, the C4. It is ironic that Spyker enjoyed an extraordinary reputation for the performance, quality and workmanship of its cars and the international press lauded the Spyker motorcars as 'the Rolls Royce of the continent', the actual sales of the vehicles were low. One important aspect wich did not help selling the C4 was the fact that the car had only breaks on the rear wheels whereas all other cars in its class had four wheel breaking systems installed by this time. In 1923 this matter was corrected but regretfully the demise of the company was imminent and the doors were closed in 1925. This model is one of the latest C4 which left the factory with of course brakes on all wheels. The top speed is about 75 MPH and the engine is built by the Maybach works in Germany.

[basman007]

1924 Spyker C4 30/40 HP All-Weather Coupe

Earlier designed by Spyker engineers the C4 was launched in 1920. Its power unit was a six cilinder 5,7 litre German Maybach, built by the company wich had manufactured Zeppelin engines during the Great War. An odd feature was a two-speed engine cooling fan. The chassis was of advanced design, with four wheel brakes and performance was outstanding: In 1924 a C4 set a new 24 hour speed record of 74,27 MPH (120 KPH) at the Brooklands track in England. This luxurious C4 is upholstered in snakeskin, a jagged guard prevents small boys from stealing rides on the luggage grid. Despite the car's obvious quality and the contunued Royal patronage of HRM Queen Wilhelmina of The Netherlands sales of the C4 were disappointing (about 160 in five years) and Tormpenburg closed down in 1925.

[basman007]

Allthough not a Spyker I still wanted to show this car, that was also parked at the Tormpenburg Square in the Louwman Collection.


1911 Eysink Bébé

Eysink was the first car manufacturer in The Netherlands (1897) and was also the first Dutch car manufacturer to fully produce all their own parts, including the engine.
This is the only Eysink (of a little over 300 made) that still exists today:

[basman007]

For anyone interested, here are the other pictures I took at the Louwman Collection:
http://www.supercars.net/gallery/129612/1616/1.html

NB: The pictures I posted above are in higher resolution and of better quality.

[basman007]

Because of the image limit, here is a car that was supposed to go in the 1st post:


1903 Spyker 60/80 HP Four-Wheel Drive Racing Car

In 1903 Spyker introduced the extremely advanced 60/80 HP. It was the first car with a six-cylinder engine as well as permanent four-wheel drive and four-wheel brakes. In the same period Spyker introduced its patented "dust shield chassis," a chassis fitted with a streamlined under tray that prevented the car from making dust on unpaved roads. It was innovations such as these that characterized the Spyker cars, which quickly became famous for their quality and the ruggedness of their engineering. The Spyker models, with their characteristic circular radiators, were especially successful in the Dutch East Indies and in Britain, where Spyker became known as "the Rolls-Royce of the continent".

[SpykerOwner]

Impressive thread. Thanks for sharing the information and pictures.

[bucciali]

He Basman,

Nice write-up!

I wonder who owns the white 30/40 model I saw at the 2001 Concours in Apeldoorn; I had always thought it was in the museum.

[Kevin Slegg]

Wow - great photo's and very interesting write up

[basman007]

You're welcome guys!


@ Bucciali: I think it's privately owned..

[F Spider]

Basman,

Great write-up. Very interesting. Even in that time they were already into details.

[basman007]

I was thinking a bump could show our newer members a little of the Spyker history

I forgot I posted this here

[IVR007]

I think this may be the best thread to place it since it is about a classic spyker: I found an old poster of Spyker.

I don't know which car it is on the poster, but the name has already been changed to spyker and it says Trompenburg so it has to be from after 1903