Spyker C4 Standard Torpedo Cabriolet

The Spyker C4 is one of the last Spykers that was produced.

One of the last Spykers. Even the unwavering support of Queen Wilhelmina no longer helps. Sales are disappointing, despite the fact that the C4 has impressive qualities and despite the fact that this car comes with an unlimited warranty as long as a specially applied seal on the engine is not broken. In five years, around 150 Spyker C4s are sold. In 1925 Spyker closes its doors for good; the bankruptcy is declared a year later. Fifteen thousand guilders is the price of the Spyker C4 Torpedo in 1921. The English magazine The Autocar in that same year: "The Spyker has excellent driving characteristics. Considering an engine capacity of less than six liters, its acceleration is particularly good. The drive from London to Brooklands felt like a gliding flight with the smooth, rhythmic running of the engine." The shift pattern of the Spyker C4 is unusual. It is a W configuration. To change gear, the lever must be moved backwards, then sideways, and then forwards. In the Netherlands, the Spyker C4 sets a remarkable record. The very first C4, named "Tenax" (Latin for "tough"), sets off on 27 November 1920 for a trip from Nijmegen to Sittard and back, a distance of about 120 kilometers that is covered non stop for more than a month by a team of four drivers. The run ends on 2 January 1921. The Spyker breaks the record held by Rolls Royce; in 36 days and nights, Tenax has covered a distance of 30,000 kilometers at an average of 35 km/h.