Minerva (driving)

Automotive Belgian society of engineering created in 1939 by Matthieu van Roggen after the repurchase of the credit of Minerva Motor declared in bankruptcy.

History

The New Company Minerva was creates by Mathieu van Roggen, after the repurchase of the credit of Minerva Motor (Sylvain de Jong). The head office was placed at Sprimont, then thereafter in Moortsel. During the Second world war, the factory located at Mortsel (from Antwerp suburbs) was requisitioned and forced to repair engines of plane. That was worth to him to be bombarded on several occasions. The creation of this company will cause the stop of the production of the engines without valves system Knight which had made the reputation of Minerva. In 1952, the company will manufacture vehicles of the type 4X4 on behalf of the Belgian army, and this under license Land Rover. Some vehicles of the same type were delivered to civil customers. Moreover, the firm also manufactured under license of the cars Amstrong Sideley and the scooters Agusta. It tried to produce starting from 1956 a 4X4 completely innovating, but it did not exceed the stage of the prototype.

The preliminary draft was to create a " Motor" general; in Belgium, at the beginning of Belgian Impéria and Minerva, two marks among most famous. Unfortunately, van Roggen never had the means (financial e.a.) of its ambitions.

The firm was declared in bankruptcy in 1958.

See too

Minerva Bus

Simple: Minerva bus

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