Minerva automobile
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In 1883, a young Dutchman, Sylvain de Jong settled in Antwerp, Belgium. He started a bicycle factory over there. By the end of that century he started producing motorbikes, and after a while cars as well. In 1903 he grounded the NV Minerva Motors in Berchem (Antwerp).
A certain Charles S Rolls was a Minerva dealer in England. The small 1 cylinder Minervette was there with its 105 Pound, the cheapest car. In the years after the fame of the cars was rising enormous. The most important market for the constructor remained however England, which took the biggest part of the production, followed by the Netherlands and France.
In 1908, Minerva got a worldwide Knight license. The Knight motor was a motor without valves, developed by Charles Y Knight in the United States. These motors were extremely silent. The company did well in several car racing competitions in Europe.
After World War I, during which Sylvain de Jong and his engineers headed to Amsterdam, where they kept on developing parts, they returned to start up the production of luxury cars. The constructor's star rised in the United States as well. American filmstars, politicians and industrials liked the cars as well. The car had the same qualities as the Rolls Royce, but was a little cheaper. With the economical crisis in the 1930's, the company went bankrupt in 1936. The remains were taken over by another Belgian constructor named Imperia. Imperia put the name Minerva on their cars for export to England and France and for the trucks (which Minerva had made before too).
After World War II the company produced Land Rovers under license for the Belgian army. Production of these 4 wheel drive vehicles stopped in 1953. The company struggled for survival and made some Land Rover-like cars till 1956. But than the constructor diappeared completely. Nowadays, there are still several Minervas all over the world in driveable condition.
External links
- Minerva Motor Car Company (http://minervamotor-car.50megs.com/custom.html)
- 1931 Minerva (http://www.blackhawkauto.org/autocollection/profiles/minerva/minerva31.html)