Spyker 7-hp Two-seater

The Old Schicht, in which Ollie B. Bommel drives around with his good friend Tom Poes, was inspired by this Spyker.

The Old Schicht, in which Ollie B. Bommel drives around with his good friend Tom Poes, is inspired by the Spyker 7HP. Illustrator and writer Marten Toonder used this red two seater as the model for the means of transport of his famous comic strip characters. In reality, the Spyker 7HP is a prototype, intended to meet the demand, just before the First World War, for smaller and more economical car models. It is a two cylinder with 7 hp, designed by the Belgian engineer Joseph Laviolette. The Spyker 7HP is fitted with a so called Stepney spare wheel. In case of a flat tire, the spare wheel can be bolted onto the regular wheel so that driving can continue until the next workshop. Around the spare wheel of this Spyker is the oldest Vredestein tire in the world. It was still made in the factory in Loosduinen.