2:47 AM
Passion for Heritage
At the dawn of motoring, a Dutch car company was building cars that became a benchmark for their foreign counterparts. Combining technological innovation with a drive for engineering perfection and superb quality, Spyker cars won grueling races, speed records and became known as the most prestigious cars of their time. In 1898 two brothers, Jacobus and Hendrik-Jan Spijker, coachbuilders in Amsterdam, built their first Benz-engined motorcars that won immediate acclaim for the craftsmanship of their bodywork.
In the same year Spijker built the famous golden state coach, still in use today, to commemorate the forthcoming coronation of the Dutch queen, Wilhelmina. This was the turning point in their business career; from that moment on the Spijker brothers dedicated their company entirely to the manufacture of motorcars. The business name was changed to Spyker, for easier recognition in foreign markets. 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.
