Minerva 1904-1938 - stately and chauffeur-driven
Summary
There were around 10,000 car brands and designers - most of them have disappeared. One of these vanished brands is Minerva, active from 1904 to 1938.
Estimated reading time: 3min
Preview (beginning of the article)
The Belgian luxury and prestige brand, which was highly regarded by connoisseurs throughout Europe, owed its reputation in part to the Knight system slide valve engines offered from 1909 onwards. The low-vibration running of the valveless engines perfectly matched the powerful appearance of the elaborately crafted bodies. Prince Albert of Belgium was also a customer of the brand. In 1904, SA Minerva Motors Ltd, which had emerged from the bicycle and motorcycle company Sylvain de Jong & Cie, began building automobiles. The main focus was initially on the Minervette with a 5 hp single-cylinder engine. But in 1907, Minerva came up trumps with a quadruple victory in the Tour of the Ardennes, using racing cars with a 90 hp 7.9 L four-cylinder engine.
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