Just how devastating the news that Spyker has been declared bankrupt is hard to gauge since many, particularly in South Africa, would have had little interaction with the brand. Sadly for the Dutch automaker, there is no Christmas cheer as they have failed to secure the funding required to keep the company’s doors open.
In 2009 Spyker made a splash in the industry by acquiring Saab from General Motors. We all know what has since happened to Saab… Between facing eviction and juggling the B6 Venator – a 250kW concept car that optimistically would have been a rival to the 911, Spyker has been unable to secure any external funding required to pay wages. Spyker is currently being guided through bankruptcy protection.
Is there a lifeline? The company founder, Victor Muller, believes there is. “None of the ambitions we had when we founded Spyker 15 years ago have vanished as a result of today’s events,” he said in a statement. “In 2000 we set out to establish a super sports car business from scratch with a global distribution and we achieved that. Over the years we undertook some daring ventures that left their marks on the company which in turn contributed to today’s demise.
However, I would like to make clear that as far as I am concerned ‘this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning’, to quote Winston Churchill. I will relentlessly endeavour to resurrect Spyker as soon as practically possible and, assuming we will be successful, pursue our goal to merge with a high performance electric aircraft manufacturer and develop revolutionary electric Spykers with disruptive sustainable technology.
This is the moment to express my gratitude to our customers, dealers, suppliers and of course our employees and Board. Their loyalty and support was vital to build the brand over the past decade and a half. They can count on us continuing to live by the Spyker axiom ‘Nulla Tenaci Invia est Via’ (Latin for ‘For the tenacious no road is impassible’).”
