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StarLight Garage presents another piece of historic value, the Spyker 60HP 4WD Grand Prix Racer from 1903.
A car from 111 years ago and was the first 4WD car ... and much more. The 4WD was a discovery by Spyker, who knew this?
All thanks for Outeke to tell me about this historic Spyker.
Unfortunately I could not find much about the Spyker 60HP Grand Prix from 1903, I only have found a few awesome photos and I know that the car can been seen in the Dutch Car Museum, Louwman in Den Haag. So I can proudly say that the 4WD is a Dutch discovery.
The Main facts of this car
In 1903 brothers and coachbuilders Jacobus and Hendrik-Jan Spijker unveiled the 60HP Spyker, this remarkable car featured a number of world first including:
1. The first 4-wheel drive system,
2. The first 6 cylinder engine
3. The first time a car had brakes fitted to all 4 wheels.
It’s surprising how little fame the car garnered considering the ingenuity that went into it and the trends it set that carry on to this day.
A short history of Spyker
In 1898, Jocobus and Hendrik-Jan Spijker, coach builders in Amsterdam, pioneered their first Benz-engined motor car and won immediate acclaim for the craftsmanship of their bodywork.
The construction of the golden state coach in 1898, to commemorate the forthcoming coronation of Queen Wilhelmina, marked the turning point form their coach building activities to car manufacturing.
Subsequently, the brothers registered their business under the name Spyker, written with a 'Y' for easier recognition in foreign markets.
The 1903 Spyker 60HP Grand Prix racer was an important historical milestone, not only for the company, but for the industry as a whole. As released at the 1903 Paris motor show, it featured the world's first six cylinder engine (8,821 cc (538.3 cu in) as will as the world's first permanent four wheel drive. Initially, the car was to run in Grand Prix races but was not ready in time for the 1903 Paris-Madrid race.
The only car built by Spyker of the this type remains to this day, and can be seen in concours condition at the Het Nationaal Automobiel Museum in the Netherlands. After a comprehensive restoration the 60HP was viewed at the 2003 Pebble Beach conours were it received top honors.
Story by Spyker Automobielen BV
Specifications
- Engine: Inline-6 w/T Head
- Position: Front Longitual
- Aspiration: Natural
- Valvetrain: Side Valves, 2 per Cyl
- Displacement: 8676 cc/529.4 in³
- Bore: 120 mm/4.72 in
- Stroke: 128 mm/5.04 in
- Compression: 4.59:1
- Power: 44.7 kw/60 bhp
- Specific Output: 6.92 bhp per litre
- Redline: 4WD
- Front brakes: Mechanical
- Rear brakes: Mechanical
- Front suspension: Live Axle w/Radial Arms, Leaf Springs
- Rear suspension: Live Axle w/Radial Arms, Leaf Springs
- Transmission: 4-Speed Manual
UPDATE 18-12-2014
SPYKER has been official bankruptcy declared.
HERE ARE THE OTHER SPYKERS
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