FERRARI distributor Hong Seh Company is now representing another million-dollar marque: Spyker.
The Dutch supercar, whose C8 Laviolette is listed at $1.05 million, is making its official debut here under Auto Palace Pte Ltd. This Hong Seh-owned company is said to be a separate set-up with different staff to cater to the needs of its own clientele.
The Auto Palace showroom will open this month at The Alexcier, a new building on Alexandra Road so far best known for housing a number of parallel importers.
Spyker Cars NV of The Netherlands has been trying to penetrate the Singapore market since early 2005. The general manager from Spyker of China, its Beijing-based office, also visited the Republic later that year but nothing came out of it.
A year ago, however, Advance Automobile, which distributes Mitsuoka, raised speculation when it brought in a Spyker convertible.
However, that car was actually en route to Thailand, where Advance Automobile's parent company, the Yontrakit Group, is based.
The large automotive group had secured the distribution rights for Spyker in early 2007. In Singapore's case, the Spyker franchise was awarded to Auto Palace recently, according to Edward Tan, executive director of Hong Seh.
"Spyker approached the Hong Seh group to take on the brand, and the marque will complement the current range of products currently being distributed," he explained.
For now, there will only be one Spyker model - the C8 Laviolette mid-engined coupe with a 4.2-litre V8. Mr Tan said a convertible is due next year, along with the long-wheelbase version of the car.
The Dutch exoticar with the propeller insignia can trace its heritage all the way back to the late 19th century when the Spyker brothers were carriage makers for the royal family. Spyker later diversified into automobiles but the business collapsed after World War I.
The brothers then turned to building fighter aeroplanes and engines - hence the propeller insignia - but that enterprise also ended by 1925.
The Spyker brand was revived in 2000 with a new range of hand-built, customised supercars.
In line with its aviation roots, the two-seater coupes and convertibles have a luxurious cabin modelled after an aeroplane cockpit and each car can be customised to the buyer's specifications.
Apart from handling Ferrari, Hong Seh Company is also the distributor of the Maserati luxury marque. Through its subsidiaries, the company has recently diversified into luxury yachts and superbikes as well.
This article was first published in The Business Times on Dec 3, 2008.
