Spyker Cars

In the era of large car maker conglomerates and slumping demand by consumers, Spyker Cars is a rarity. Spyker is an independent, Dutch-run company that builds all its cars by hand. Today, Spyker only sells one model in the United States, but even in a very limited capacity, Spyker has presented itself as a good alternative to other, more well-known exotic car brands.

The Spyker name has its origins in the end of the nineteenth century, when brothers Hendrik and Jacobus jan Spijker began building cars in their native Amsterdam. In 1903, the company's name's spelling was changed, in order to make it more easily recognizable. That year, the company debuted its 60/80 HP, which was advanced for its period. It had a six cylinder motor, four-wheel drive and all-wheel brakes.

Before World War I, automotive demand hit a bit of a slump. To combat the drop in sales, Spyker decided to merge with an aircraft company in Holland. During the war, the company built war planes, and used that experience to design cars after the war. The most famous postwar Spyker was the C4, which was famous for its durability and power. Those advantages weren't enough to keep the company afloat, and it went bankrupt in 1925.

The Spyker brand was resurrected in 1999, when a pair of Dutch businessmen bought the rights to the name, and started a company that was dedicated to building high-powered cars for wealthy clients. The first new Spyker, the C8, was debuted at 2000's Birmingham Motor Show. Official sales in the United States did not start, however, until Spyker got the required 2009 certifications. The Spyker C8 is an exotic sports model, with stellar performance and many design elements lifted from the aircraft world.

Most recently, the Spyker car company made news when it purchased Sweden's Saab from America's General Motors, as part of GM's reorganization after bankruptcy.