Minerva cars 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 company from Belgium. They were known for making really fancy and expensive cars, often called luxury automobiles. The company stopped making cars in 1956.
Contents
The Story of Minerva Cars
Early Days: From Bikes to Cars
The Minerva company started in 1883 with a young Belgian named Sylvain de Jong. He settled in Antwerp, Belgium, and began by making bicycles. By the late 1800s, his company also started producing motorcycles. Soon after, they began making cars too. In 1900, he officially founded the NV Minerva Motors in Berchem, a part of Antwerp.
Minerva's Rise to Fame
A famous person named Charles S Rolls (who later co-founded Rolls-Royce) was a Minerva car dealer in England. Minerva made a small, affordable car called the Minervette. It had just one cylinder and cost about 105 Pounds, making it one of the cheapest cars available.
Over the next few years, Minerva cars became incredibly popular. England was their biggest market, buying most of their cars. The Netherlands and France were also important customers.
The Silent Knight Engine
From 1908, Minerva gained a special license to use the Knight engine. This engine was invented by Charles Y Knight in the United States. What made the Knight engine special was that it didn't have valves, which made it extremely quiet. Minerva cars with these silent engines did very well in car races across Europe.
After World War I
During World War I, Sylvain de Jong and his engineers moved to Amsterdam. They continued to develop car parts there. After the war, they returned to Belgium to restart making luxury cars. Minerva cars became popular in the United States too. American film stars, politicians, and business owners loved them. Even Henry Ford, who founded Ford Motor Company, owned a Minerva before the war!
Minerva cars had qualities similar to the very expensive Rolls-Royce cars. However, Minerva cars were a bit cheaper, which made them a popular choice for luxury car buyers.
Challenges and Changes
The worldwide economic crisis in the 1930s hit many companies hard, including Minerva. The company went bankrupt in 1936. Another Belgian car maker called Imperia took over what was left of Minerva. Imperia continued to use the Minerva name on some of their cars, especially for export to England and France. They also used the name for trucks, which Minerva had made before.
The Final Years
After World War II, Minerva started producing Land Rover vehicles. They made these tough 4-wheel-drive vehicles under license for the Belgian army. Production of these Land Rovers stopped in 1953. The company struggled to survive after that. They made a few more Land Rover-like cars until 1956. Then, the Minerva company completely disappeared. Today, many Minerva cars are still around the world and can even be driven!
Images for kids
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A man on a Minerva motorized bicycle in Australia around the year 1900.
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The chassis of a Minervette car from 1906.
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A share certificate from Minerva Motors S.A., issued in 1929.
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A beautiful 1931 Minerva 8 AL Rollston Convertible Sedan.
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A 1937 Imperia Minerva AP 22 CV limousine.
See also
In Spanish: Minerva Motors para niños
