Donkervoort Automobielen BV, popularly known as Donkervoort, is a Dutch Automobile Manufacturers that manufactures lightweight and hand-crafted sports cars. We wouldn't blame you for not knowing about the Dutch carmaker because they are relatively unknown, but make no mistake, they develop some awesome sports cars. The company was established in 1978 by Joop Donkervoort and its headquarters is based in Lelystad, Netherlands. Joop was a Dutch racing driver himself and had a desire of owning a sports car brand.
The bottom line of Doonkervoort is “No Compromise”, and it stands by it where it produces a great driving experience without any electronic aids such as power steering, Electronic Stability Program, and Anti-lock Braking System. Donkervoort is one of the best Dutch car brands and has a pretty big fanbase worldwide. Unlike the mainstream cars like Ford, VW, and BMW, Donkervoort is an underrated brand with best-in-class performance and stylish exterior.
The Origins Of The Dutch King
Going back to the past, Donkervoort was founded in 1978 and it was the same year they started building cars in the humble workshop in Tienhoven, Netherlands. Later, they moved their base to Loosdrecht, and finally, they settled in a modern factory near the A6 Motorway, Lelystad in 2000. This is the place where all their sports cars are manufactured right from the chassis of the body to the stunning interior. Although, they opened their second plant in Germany in 2014.
Initially, Donkervoort used to manufacture their cars with Ford engines, but they switched to Audi engines in 1999. Since then, they share a close companionship with Audi, which allowed them to manufacture sports cars with potent, lightweight, and compact engines. All the cars are handcrafted by highly skilled and experienced craftsmen due to which their cars stand out from the rest of the crowd in terms of design.
Welcome To The Donkervoort Era
The very first car, Donkervoort S7 was built by Joop Donkervoort in 1978 which was inspired by the purchase of the Dutch Import Franchise. But sadly, it turned out to be tragic where the S7 was restricted from driving in the streets of Holland. For the car’s approval, Joop was required to modify the chassis. That’s when he decided to build a sports car brand, and the rest is history.
After establishing the Donkervoort, the first car that was officially built was Donkervoort S8, and around 140 S8s and S7s were sold which was a decent number at that time. After they moved to Loosdrecht, they started working on the S8A, which features a new independent suspension, chassis, and electronic fuel injection. Later, a modified version of this called the S8AT was built with a turbo producing an additional 50 horsepower and had a broader chassis.
Donkervoort gradually increased their production and built various models from 1988 to 2001 like D10, D8, D8 Zetec, and so on. In 1999, they have collaborated with a leading carmaker, Audi which bought various improvements in their lineup. The former Audi CEO, Dr. Franz-Josef stood behind the Donkervoort and extended his complete support for the development of the D20.
After collaborating with Audi, there was a drastic bump in the performance of the Donkervoort cars which was much better than the Ford-powered engines. With this game-changing partnership with Audi, Donkervoort attained a huge number of sales and growth which led to bigger plans. So, they shifted their base near the A6 in Lelystad and they started producing around 100 Donkervoorts per year.
The Infamous Donkervoort Cup
Between 1993 and 2001, Donkervoort Cup was a phenomenon and created waves across the racing class. It was a phenomenal success for ten years which offered everything to the audience like hospitality, food, technical service, tire assistance, and more. Many racers and enthusiasts participated in the races that were held across European countries such as Belgium, Netherlands, and Germany. According to Arrive and Drive Principles, drivers could take part in the race and return home with a Donkervoort trophy in their trunk.
An Inspirational Journey
Started as a small home in Tienhoven to becoming one of the most loved small car brands in Europe, Donkervoort’s journey is an inspiration to many who want to build their league of cars. Donkervoort cars are best known for their retro-modern styling, great handling, and amusing power. Their cutting-edge technology and subtle styling earned a respectable reputation in the industry and they became the face of Dutch cars with an ultra-lightweight construction, mid-placed engines, and low center of gravity mechanism.
After 42 years of pathbreaking success, Joop Donkervoort retired in January 2021, and his son, Denis Donkervoort takes the crown. Though Joop got retired, he will be remembered for his famous innovations such as converting carbon into art design, the Ex-core carbon fiber process, and so on. Nevertheless, he will act as a mentor for the Donkervoort Advisory Board and focus on side projects.