Minerva (automobile) facts for kids
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| Industry | automobiles |
|---|---|
| Fate | Sold to Rheinmetall |
| Founded | Antwerp, Belgium (1900) |
| Founder | Sylvain de Jong |
| Defunct | 1956 |
| Products | bicycles, motorcycles, automobiles |
Minerva was a famous Belgian company. It made luxury cars from 1902 to 1938. The company officially closed down in 1956.
A Dutchman named Sylvain de Jong started the company. At first, they made bicycles. Then, in 1900, they started making light cars and motorized bicycles. By 1902, Minerva added cars to its product list.
Minerva cars became well-known for their high quality. Their special "Knight Engines" were very quiet. Even kings and famous people like Henry Ford liked Minerva cars. But in the 1930s, the company faced money problems. It joined with another Belgian car maker called Imperia.
After World War II, Minerva built a version of the Land Rover. They made these vehicles for the Belgian army until 1954. A disagreement with Land Rover ended this partnership. Minerva tried to make cars again, but it stopped all operations in 1956.
Contents
Company History
In 1883, a young man from the Netherlands, Sylvain de Jong (1868–1928), moved to Antwerp, Belgium. He would later start the Minerva company.
Bicycles and Motorcycles
Minerva began by making regular bicycles in 1897. By 1900, they started making small cars and "motocyclettes." These were early versions of motorcycles.
They created small engines that could be attached to bicycles. These engines were made for Minerva bikes. But you could also buy them as a kit for almost any bicycle. By 1901, the engine kit had a 211cc engine. It made 1.5 horsepower. This allowed bikes to cruise at 30 km/h (19 mph). They could reach a top speed of 50 km/h (31 mph). These kits were sold all over the world. They went to places like the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.
As engines got more powerful, bicycle frames sometimes broke. So, by 1903, Minerva designed bikes with the engine built into the frame. They still sold the clip-on kits too. From 1904, Minerva focused more on making cars. They continued making motorized bicycles and motorcycles until about 1909. But these became a smaller part of their business.
Minerva engines were also used by other companies. For example, the very first Triumph motorcycles used Minerva engines. Minerva became a top name in motorcycles and motorcycle engines.
Minerva Automobiles
In 1902, Sylvain de Jong started making cars. His first car was a 6 horsepower, four-cylinder model. In 1903, he officially started Société Anonyme Minerva Motors in Berchem, Antwerp.
They began making many cars in 1904. These included two, three, and four-cylinder models. They also made the Minervette cyclecar, which was a very small car. A Minerva car won the Belgian Circuit des Ardennes race in 1907.
Charles Rolls (who later started Rolls-Royce Limited) sold Minerva cars in England. The small 636 cc single-cylinder Minervette was the cheapest car in England. It cost £105. England was Minerva's most important market.
In 1908, Minerva got a special license for the Knight Engine. This engine was invented by Charles Yale Knight in the United States. It used special "sleeve valves" and ran almost silently. All future Minerva cars would use these quiet engines.
Minerva cars continued to win races. They won the Austrian Alpine Trials and Swedish Winter Trials. Many important people bought Minerva cars. These included the kings of Belgium, Sweden, and Norway. Even Henry Ford owned one.
During World War I, Sylvain de Jong and his engineers moved to Amsterdam. They kept working on new car designs there. Minerva cars were used in the war. They were used for quick attacks against the Germans. These cars had light machine guns. But when the fighting became trench warfare, the cars could not move freely.
In 1920, the company returned to Belgium. They started making luxury cars again. They made the 20CV with a 3.6-liter four-cylinder engine. They also made the 30CV with a 5.3-liter six-cylinder engine. Minerva cars became popular in Europe and the United States. American movie stars and important business people liked them. Minerva cars had the same high quality as Rolls-Royce cars, but they cost a little less.
In 1923, Minerva introduced smaller models. These included the 2-liter four-cylinder 15CV. They also made the 3.4-liter six-cylinder 20CV. These cars had brakes on all four wheels. In 1927, the 30CV was replaced by the 6-liter AK. A new 2-liter six-cylinder car, the 12-14, was also introduced.
Minerva continued to specialize in large, luxurious cars. In 1930, they introduced straight-eight engines. These came in two sizes: the 6.6-liter AL and the 4-liter AP. The last Minerva car was the 2-liter M4 from 1934. But it did not sell very well.
The company faced financial problems in the 1930s. It was reorganized as Société Nouvelle Minerva. In 1934, it merged with another big Belgian car maker, Imperia. Imperia continued to make some Minerva models for a few years. From 1937, they even sold some of their own cars and trucks as Minerva-Imperias. Just before World War II, a group of business people bought Minerva.
Land Rover Production
After World War II, Minerva made a version of the Land Rover 80" model. They built these under a special agreement for the Belgian army until 1954. This 80" model was called the TT (Tout Terrain). A smaller number of 86" Land Rovers were also built from 1953 to 1956. These vehicles had steel bodies made in Belgium.
Some of these 80" and 86" models were also sold to regular people. Minerva also put together Land Rover vehicles for the Belgian state police. These police vehicles looked more like traditional Land Rovers.
A big disagreement happened between Land Rover and Minerva. This led to a court case. Minerva won the case for a broken agreement. This ended their partnership. After the Land Rover deal ended, Minerva planned to make cars again. But these plans never went beyond the testing stage. The company struggled to survive. It made the Continental-engined Land Rover-like C20 until 1956.
See also
In Spanish: Minerva Motors para niños
