Motoring News » Spyker

SAAB AND SPYKER CEOs TO DRIVE CLASSIC SAABS ON MILLE MIGLIA

eagle6 — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:11:35 +0000

Italian hillsides are about to reverberate again to the distinctive crackle of a Saab two-stroke engine. Providing the soundtrack will be Saab Automobile CEO Jan Åke Jonsson and Saab Automobile Chairman and Spyker Cars CEO Victor Muller, who will each drive a 1957-vintage Saab 93 at this year’s historic Mille Miglia road race.

The two executives are celebrating the 93’s class win on this unique event 53 years ago with cars prepared by the Saab Car Museum in Sweden. Jonsson and Muller will be following, at a more leisurely pace, in the wheel tracks of the 1957 class winner crewed byCharlie Lohmander and co-driver Harald Kronegård. Today’s annual classic recreation of the 1,000-mile (1,600 km) Brescia-Rome-Brescia route is held over three days on open roads and decided on punctuality between check-points. Jonsson and Muller will be co-driven by their sons, Christian, 38, and Olivier,18, respectively.

Powered by a 45 hp, 748 cc, three-cylinder engine, but weighing only 810 kilos, the Saab 93’s agile handling and good aerodynamics enabled it to embarrass far more powerful, larger cars. “Saab’s early success on this event is part of our rich heritage,” said Jan Åke Jonsson. “We’re looking forward to competing once again with the Saab 93, although we won’t be driving it quite so fast.”

This year’s event, from 6 – 8 May, is Victor Muller’s tenth Mille Miglia. “The 93 is unlike any other car I’ve entered, which is hardly surprising as it’s a Saab,” he said. “Jan Åke and I will enjoy the event and we’re looking forward to a little friendly rivalry between team-mates. It certainly won’t be as intense as the competition between Eklund and Blomqvist when they were rallying with Saabs in the late 70s.”

Saab’s 1957 Mille Miglia success was followed by Erik ‘Mr Saab’ Carlsson’s overall victory on the Finnish 1000 Lakes Rally later the same year, both results bringing early international recognition for the Saab brand. Carlsson would go on to achieve back-to-back Monte Carlo wins and a hat-trick of RAC Rally victories in the early 60s.

Between 1955 and 1960, 52,731 Saab 93s were built at Trollhättan, where Saabs are still produced today. Its frontal styling introduced a new face for Saab, carried forward by the 96 saloon and 95 station wagon which stayed in production until 1980.

SPYKER AND CPP TO COMMENCE UK PRODUCTION

eagle6 — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 09:06:58 +0000

Work to produce some of the world’s leading supercars in Coventry has started.

Dutch firm Spyker Cars N.V. has switched the assembly of its new Aileron supercar from Zeewolde in Holland to a new plant at CPP Manufacturing Limited where the first cars have gone into production today.

In order to meet new production targets, CPP will look to create around 40 new jobs taking its workforce to approximately 150.

Today’s news follows Spyker announcement last November and is in line with the company’s strategy to scale up production and reduce, where possible, costs related to the manufacturing process.

Company founder Victor Muller and the Spyker Chairman Vladimir Antonov, along with Brendan O’Toole, Managing Director of CPP, today visited the Coventry plant where the assembly line is located.

Spyker production capacity can reach five cars a week in one shift at the new plant. CPP has established a new bespoke 20,000 sq. ft. assembly plant close to its headquarters on Wheler Road in Coventry.

Muller said the move was a “landmark in the history of Spyker” which was originally founded in 1875.

“This move makes sense on many different levels,” he said. “CPP has been producing our body panels for 10 years and we have an extremely close working relationship with the company.

“More than half our components are sourced from the UK, so moving here will bring us considerable efficiency savings which is vital for a car company of our size.

“In addition, this area has probably the richest heritage in car production of any region in the world. CPP has shown that the tradition of quality is very much alive and well in the Midlands region and in Coventry in particular, and that can only bring benefits to us.

“Coventry has been at the forefront of quality automotive design and production and Spyker wants to be a lasting part of that. We are already starting to establish links with the two universities in the city. This marks a new and very exciting era for Spyker.”

CPP produced the first prototype cars for Spyker when Muller resurrected the brand in 2000 and works with a host of leading motor manufacturers.

O’Toole commented: “Against a general backdrop of decline in UK car manufacture in recent years, today provides very positive news not just for CPP but importantly for Coventry.

“Spyker is a world renowned name in the design and production of exclusive cars and CPP is extremely pleased to now be playing a larger part in that success story.

“We have established a very good working relationship over the last decade and today’s announcement allows us to take this relationship to the next exciting stage. Spyker fully recognises the expertise that exists within CPP but also in this area of the UK which has a very rich and proud tradition of automotive manufacturing.”

SPYKER CARS RELOCATES ITS VEHICLE ASSEMBLY LINES TO THE UK

eagle6 — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 08:46:03 +0000

By relocating its assembly lines from Zeewolde to Coventry, Spyker will achieve considerable improvements in efficiency and substantial cost-reductions. The relocation is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Of the 135 Spyker employees in the Netherlands, approximately 45 jobs will be directly affected. A full social plan will be prepared in consultation with the trade unions, and Spyker will work with the trade unions to assist the employees concerned in finding a new job. Engineering, Corporate staff functions, Sales, After-Sales, Marketing and ‘Spyker Squadron’, the company’s Works’ GT race team, will remain in Zeewolde. Management will continue its efforts to reduce costs and further headcount reduction may not be excluded.

Victor R. Muller, CEO of Spyker Cars stated: ‘In these challenging times, a small manufacturer like Spyker has to find ways to reduce costs as well as improve its efficiency. By relocating vehicle assembly to CPP (Manufacturing), which was Spyker’s very first contracting partner at the inception of our company in 2000 and has been one of our most trusted partners ever since, we secure the future of our business’.

‘With approximately half of our vehicles’ parts and components sourced in the UK, and virtually all key suppliers being located there, moving closer to our suppliers and engineering partners will result in substantial savings and tangible efficiency improvements’.

‘We realise that jobs will be affected in the Netherlands but we believe this move is necessary under the current economic circumstances and is in the best interest of the company and all of its stakeholders,’ he added.

Brendan O’Toole, Managing Director of CPP (Manufacturing), stated: ‘We have worked closely with Spyker since 2000 when we built their very first prototype chassis, and have grown with Spyker to become one of the leading low-volume manufacturers in the industry. We will maintain the highest standards of quality in the assembly of Spyker vehicles, while at the same time achieving significant cost reductions and operational efficiencies for Spyker’.