Minerva AB Roadster

The Minerva AB is truly a fantastic sight. The current owner has owned the Minerva since 1997 and bought it in Brussels. This Minerva is already going towards 100, but that is only noticeable by the model. Everything else is in very nice and original condition.

In 1925, this Minerva was delivered "bare." This means that you had the option of putting your own bodywork on the chassis. In this case, Park Ward of England took care of this. They built the "spider" bodywork that received a sloping line immediately after the passenger compartment. Usually this type of car had very narrow doors and the driver had to bend over to get out, which is exceptionally not the case here. The color combination chosen is very special and beautiful: a white polished aluminum hood, a red body and yellow wheels. Delivered in London in 1925, this Minerva was bought by a resident of New Zealand. That is where this Minerva spent its greatest time. In New Zealand, the Minerva changed hands once before making its way back to Brussels in 1991. There the Minerva remained with the same owner until 1997 until the current owner came across this Minerva. In the late 1990s, the slider engine was completely overhauled and since then the actual starting and running of the engine.

Beginning in 1904, Minerva began building automobiles. When the company bought the rights to a new quiet engine, the Knight slide engine, in 1908, things really began to take off. Minerva became known for its luxurious, well-finished, fast, custom-built cars. Soon the elite part of the world's population knew Minerva. Members of the royal houses of Belgium, Romania, Thailand and India, people of nobility, movie stars and great business leaders such as Henry Ford, artist Anna Boch drove around in a Minerva from Antwerp.

In the automotive world in those years, Minerva was a big name. It was comparable to Rolls Royce. The company had more than 6,500 employees, and in 1927 founder Sylvain de Jong wanted to expand. To do so, he needed new capital from investors, diluting his own stake in the company. On October 24, 1929, the New York Stock Exchange crashed. There was a drastic reduction in the demand for luxury cars. In addition, Sylvain de Jong had died of cancer the previous year.

Today, Minervas are among many sought-after classic cars. Stop by to see this special car.

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