Spyker postscript

I see that in his description of the new Dutch Volvo 480ES last month, MLC says that the last Dutch sports car was the Spyker built in 1910, according to the expert.s Which perhaps shows that you should never trust experts, because I would have thought that the Frederick Koolhoven 30/40 hp Type C4 Spyker was entitled to that honour, and it was built after WW1. Moreover, it was known in England, being shown at Olympia .There had also been the post-war 13/30 by 3.6-Ittre Spyker with unusual Aerocoque sports bodywork.

The bigger 30/40 hp model should be remembered, if only because the publicity-conscious Mr S F Edge used one of these side-valve, twin-sparking-plug 72 bhp six-cylinder Maybachengined Spykers in July 192210 win a bet that he could not, at the age of 54. better his time for a 24-hour run on Brooklands Track that he had set up at 65 91 mph with 060 hp Napier back in 1907 Fitted with a light two-seater racing body. the Spyker contrived to average 74 27 mph for two 12-hour timed runs, the car having to be locked away at night to obviate complaints of noise from the local residents. The best hour was accomplished at an average speed of 77 97 mph, so I think we can call this 5 7-litre Spyker a sports car Edge drove throughout, accompanied by Col Jansen of the British Spyker Company, whose wife was out on the Track at the same time, setting up records on her little Trump-JAP motorcycle It is significant that whereas in 1907 Edge’s Napier had required 24 tyre changes in the 24 hours. the Spyker needed only two, and these only as a result of punctures caused by a nail and a screw, respectively Al the time you could buy such a Spyker chassis from the headquarters in Duke Street, St James’s for £1,400 or louring-bodied for £1,800. – W.B.