This month not only marks the end of the year, but the end of the Dutch supercar manufacturer Spyker – or does it?
True, the bridge funding the creator of the uniquely styled C8 Aileron you see above needed didn’t come through in time for the automaker to avoid bankruptcy. However, Victor R. Muller, founder and CEO, said, “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.”
Honestly, that sounds like pie in the sky to me. An automobile/electric plane firm that will produce sports cars any time soon? Good luck. That doesn’t mean I hope Muller is wrong, though. His company has made some beautiful, unusual-looking rolling sculptures with gorgeous interiors that put the Netherlands on a special automotive map that only displays a few countries, such as Italy, England, Japan, and Germany. I like a world in which Spykers exist.
The manufacturer has faded away before. It originally operated from 1880 until 1926, then arose from the ashes in 1999. A series of ill-fated decisions – including an attempt to rescue Saab from the clutches of death – led to Spyker being in its current state.
Do you think it’s too late to ask Santa to make Rudolph guide Spyker out of its financial darkness?
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
