08:55AM - 31.07.'15
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News Source: autoblog.com
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Spyker has had a rough go of it these past few years, but it's getting back on the proverbial horse. It's officially exiting bankruptcy protection, and merging with an American aircraft company. While the merger has been mentioned before, this is the first we're hearing of Spyker confirming the identity of its new partner. That company is Volta Volaré, an electric aircraft manufacturer based in Portland, OR. Back in 2012, Volta Volaré revealed the GT4, its prototype for an electric airplane, and is ostensibly working on bringing it to market. But we're more interested in how the partnership might translate into battery-powered sports cars in the future. "Spyker is back with a vengeance," said Spyker CEO Victor R. Muller in a statement, "and we look forward to a bright future for the company I founded 15 years ago and which is now set to build sensationally elegant and classy (electric) motorcars and electric planes for decades to come." That "back" part isn't new to the company. The company started out way back in 1880 making carriages, delved into aircraft during World War I, and went defunct in 1926. The name was revived by Muller in 1999 to make high-end sports cars. Spyker briefly took over an F1 team in 2006. But even that move didn't prove as overly ambitious as its takeover of Saab in 2010. After the Saab experiment failed, Spyker struggled to return to its former self. It showcased the enticing B6 Venator concept in 2013, and sought funding to built it, but was forced to restructure its finances late last year. Now eight months later, it has officially emerged from bankruptcy protection, having won a protracted legal battle with a single creditor, and says it is finalizing deals with new investors. |
