The Spyker MF1 Team, a 100 percent subsidiary of Spyker Cars N.V., a Holland-based manufacturer of high-end sports cars, is proud to announce it has agreed an engine supply agreement with Ferrari. Under this contract, Ferrari will supply its V8 engines to Spyker MF1 Team as well as the required technical assistance to run the engines in all races and tests. The Spyker MF1 Team has been born out of the Midland F1 outfit which Spyder bought earlier this month. The team's colours are orange and silver.

Victor Muller, Spyker Cars and Spyker MF1 CEO said: "To reach agreement with the number one name in the Formula One world for over 50 years is a milestone in the history of our company. I am convinced that the co-operation of Spyker MF1 Team with Ferrari and its dedicated staff will bear fruit for the 2007 season. Mike Gascoyne's input as Chief Technology Officer, effective November 1, 2006, leads me to believe that Spyker will become a serious contender in the F1 seasons to come." Meanwhile Michiel Mol, Director of F1 Racing - Spyker Cars and Spyker MF1 commented: 'After the completion of the sale yesterday this announcement completes the first chapter of Spyker MF1 team and I believe truly illustrates our commitment and ambition. We are in F1 to be competitive.

Colin Kolles added: 'It has been an agonising wait for this decision but I think it reflects the new found stature of our team under the Spyker ownership. The most important element for our technical team is that for the first time in many years they have long-term stability which is something which has hurt our design process in recent years. There is a lot of work to do before we get running in early 2007 but we all love a challenge!"

"We are very happy to have reached this agreement with such a dynamic company as Spyker," commented Scuderia Ferrari Managing Director, Jean Todt today. "We firmly believe that this partnership will be a very positive one for both parties."

The engine deal with Ferrari comes just weeks after Spyker announced the purchase of the Midland F1 team, the announcement being made at Monza on 10th September during the Italian Grand Prix weekend. The transaction is set to be financed by means of a fully underwritten share issue of 2,650.000 shares at € 20 per share (totally 53 million euros, the majority of which will be taken up by Michiel Mol), in addition to an interest free vendor loan for the remainder. The new shares represent 40% of all outstanding shares after the share issue. All new issued shares shall have a 180 days lock-up. The enterprise value for MF1 Racing amounts to US$ 106.6 million payable as follows: initial payment upon closing per September 30, 2006 of  US$ 68.6 million; first deferred payment of US$ 15 million payable on the first anniversary of closing; and second deferred payment of US$ 23 million payable on the second anniversary of closing.

The Spyder MF1 Team has a 15 year background in Formula 1. During the course of its history, the team which was previously known as Jordan Grand Prix, and founded by Eddie Jordan in 1991, achieved four wins, the most memorable being  the perfect 1-2 result at Spa-Francorchamps earned by Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher in 1998. A further 19 podiums, the last one climbed by Tiago Monteiro at the 2005 US Grand Prix, and six front row qualifying positions all contribute to the team's tradition of success in F1. Jordan was acquired in January 2005 by Midland Group, a privately-owned trading and investment- holding organisation co-founded by Russian-born Canadian businessman Alex Shnaider. Midland had initially planned to build its own team from the ground up and launch it for the 2006 season, but this strategy was accelerated by the opportunity to purchase the Jordan team and its infrastructure. As a result, 2005 represented a final transition season for Jordan Grand Prix before it was renamed Midland F1 Racing Limited. The company announced the official registration of its Formula One team - MF1 Racing - into the 2006 FIA Formula One World Championship on November 15th, 2005.

During the announcement of the purchase on 10th September Victor R. Muller stated: “Since we started the company in 2000 we have seen tremendous growth consistently year on year, basically doubling production every year. In order to maintain a strong growth path for a company with relatively limited means for marketing, the entry into the Formula One arena is an unparalleled way to both underline Spyker’s commitment to racing and to benefit from a massive increase in brand awareness around the globe. It is my strong conviction that Formula One racing transmits values which are entirely in line with our brand values: heritage (as early as 1903 Spyker built the famous six cylinder four wheel drive 60HP Grand Prix racer), design, craftsmanship, performance and exclusivity. Moreover we expect that the Spyker road cars will seriously benefit from the F1 technology that we now have in-house. I am so proud of our team that worked around the clock to make this deal happen. It proves that the logo introduced in 1914 ‘nulla tenaci invia est via’ still holds true today: for the tenacious no road is impassable. We welcome with open arms our new partner Michiel Mol who will join me on the Management Board of Spyker and Spyker MF1. His passion and business sense have paved the way for this transaction. He will make a major contribution to the overall success of both Spyker and Spyker MF1.”

At the same time Michiel Mol stated: “Today my lifelong ambition became reality. After being involved with Formula One as a sponsor of teams and drivers for almost 10 years I will now participate as a shareholder in a very ambitious manufacturer owned Formula One Team. Formula One has developed as a challenging platform for building global brands. The new regulations will make this high-profile sport even more attractive. I will definitely use all my skills and experience in digital media to make the team one of the most dynamic and appealing for fans and sponsors. The Spyker brand values fit perfectly with F1 and my vision. I look forward to working together with Victor Muller. What he achieved by reintroducing the most famous Dutch car manufacturer brand is impressive. F1 will help to make Spyker even more credible and successful. However, we are not in F1 to be in F1. We are in F1 to win. I would like to thank Alex Shnaider and Midland Group for doing such a good job to improve the team and giving us a solid platform from which to launch our program. Without their efforts, none of this would be possible. Mike Gascoyne joining us is a milestone and the ultimate proof of our ambitions. Together with Colin Kolles he will be able to build a winning team. Hopefully it will not take too long before we hear the Dutch anthem in Formula One for the first time ever. I have a new challenge and nothing is impossible.”

Meanwhile yesterday it was announced that Christijan Albers will drive for the Spyker M F1 Team in 2007. The 27 year old Dutchman, affectionately known as ‘Mr Noisy’ by team due to his non-stop verbal assault on the world both in and out of the car, becomes the first Dutchman to drive for a Dutch-owned team in Formula 1. ‘This is just crazily exciting’ said Albers, ‘First I get to keep my place in the team, then it becomes a Dutch team and, best of all, they’ve agreed to pay me! It doesn’t get better than that going into the third year of my F1 career.’

SPYKER

In 1898 two brothers, Jacobus and Hendrik-Jan Spijker, coachbuilders in Amsterdam, built their first Benz-engined motorcar with which they won immediate acclaim for the craftsmanship of their bodywork. In the same year Spijker built the famous golden state coach, still in use today, to commemorate the forthcoming coronation of the Dutch queen, Wilhelmina. This was the turning point in their business career: from that moment on the Spijker brothers committed their company fully to the production of motorcars. The business name was changed to Spyker, for easier recognition in foreign markets.
 

In 1903 Spyker introduced the extremely advanced 60/80 HP. It was the first car with a six-cylinder engine as well as permanent four-wheel drive and four-wheel brakes. In the same period Spyker introduced its patented ‘dust shield chassis,’ a chassis fitted with a streamlined under tray that prevented the car from making dust on unpaved roads. Spyker’s image was further enhanced when in 1907 a privately entered standard model Spyker 14/18HP Tourer became legendary after successfully competing in the famous gruelling Peking to Paris raid, arriving in second place. It was innovations as these that characterized the Spyker cars that quickly became famous for their quality and the ruggedness of their engineering. The Spyker models, with their characteristic circular radiators were especially successful in the Dutch East Indies and in Britain, where Spyker became known as ‘the Rolls Royce of the continent’.

In the period preceding World War 1, a worldwide slump in the luxury car market meant that Spyker had to diversify its production and merged with the Dutch Aircraft Factory N.V. the company started developing and building fighter aircraft. During the war, Spyker built around 100 fighter aircraft and 200 aircraft engines. In 1914 the company introduced the slogan still being used today: ‘Nulla tenaci invia est via: For the tenacious no road is impassable’. Along with the slogan came a new logo, featuring a spoke wheel with a horizontal propeller across.

After the war Spyker resumed car production. True to its motto, Spyker continued building record-breaking cars. Most famous of these is the Spyker C4. It had a special engine, built by the famous German engineer Wilhelm Maybach. It had a double ignition system with Bosch high-tension magneto and battery-coil ignition with two spark plugs per cylinder. The Spyker C4 was a powerful, dependable and luxurious car. In 1921, a standard C4 (chassis number C41, engine number 3201) established a new endurance record, driving continuously for 36 days and covering a distance of 30,000 kilometers. This car was called the “Tenax”. Later on it was bought by the Dutch nobleman Hugo Baron van Pallandt who, with this car, won the first prize in the hill climb of the Mont de la Turbie near Monte Carlo in March 1922. The Spyker C12 LaTurbie owes its name to this sporting success. Also in 1922, the famous British driver Selwyn Edge broke the Brookland’s Double-Twelve speed record, clocking an average speed of 119 km/h.

In 1925, the Spyker Company ceased trading, but its name has never been forgotten. Spyker became an icon, a brand name that stands for technologically advanced, exotic and dependable cars. That heritage has been passed over to the new Spyker company and its cars. Since October 2000 when the Spyker C8 Spyder was unveiled at the Birmingham Motor Show, Spyker has established a strong foothold in the super car market niche. Hand-built in the best tradition of the traditional Spykers by the most dedicated craftsmen of our time using the very best materials available. Created with passion for the most passionate of drivers. The Spyker C8 Spyder won instant acclaim and was awarded the 2000 Institute of Vehicle Engineers Design Award on 18 October 2000. The Spyker C8 Laviolette, a coupe reminiscent of modern jet fighters, made its debut during the Amsterdam Motor Show in February 2001.

Subsequently the Spyker C8 Double12 R, Spyker’s Le Mans endurance racer, was launched during the IAA in Frankfurt in September 2001 with which Spyker participated in the 2002 and 2003 edition of the 24 hours of Le Mans. The street version of the Spyker C8 Double12, the so called ‘S’, was unveiled at the Birmingham Motor Show in October 2002. In the meantime countless other concourses d’elegance and events were attended in Europe and the USA. The Spyker C8 Spyder T, a twin turbo variant of its C8 Spyder was presented at the IAA in Frankfurt in September 2003. In the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2003 Spyker won its first victory: finishing 10th in class and 30th overall.

In May 2004 Spyker went public by means of an initial public offering (IPO): on 27 May 2004 the company was listed at the Amsterdam Stock Exchange (ticker symbol SPYKR) Euronext Amsterdam. Spyker was recognized as a National and Mobile Heritage by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science on 23 September 2004. On March 1, 2005 Spyker announced that it had obtained approval for its C8 models in the USA by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Subsequently, on June 30, 2005, Spyker announced that it had obtained the necessary waivers by NHTSA for the last waiver applications. With this final approval, these models are now fully US road legal. The Spyker C12 LaTurbie made its worldwide debut during the Geneva Motor Show in March 2005. It will be the first Spyker powered by the 6.0 litre W12 Audi engine. On 24 March 2005 Spyker announced its production agreement with Wilhelm Karmann GmbH of Osnabruck, Germany for the production of chassis and bodies in white. A Spyker C8 Laviolette (chassis number 015) obtained a leading role in the major motion picture Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction. Filming started in May 2005. The release is scheduled for 15 March 2006 in London and 27 March in New York.

On September 4, 2005, the Spyker C8 Spyder GT2R (chassis number 046) won a major victory and a podium place, finishing second in its class (LMGT) during the LMES 1000km of Nürburgring, Germany. On November 18, 2005, the same Spyker C8 Spyder GT2R won its second podium place, finishing second in its class (GT2) in Dubai during a FIA GT race. In September 2005 the Spyker C8 Spyder was voted ’Best New Exotic Car 2006’ by duPont Registry’s Exotic Car Buyers Guide 2006, chosen from well over 100 cars. On November 13, 2005, Spyker Cars and Mubadala Development Company (a principal investment company wholly owned by the Government of Abu Dhabi) announced their strategic alliance. The signing of the alliance was attended by HE Dr Jan Peter Balkenende, the Dutch Prime Minister.

In January 2006 Spyker was awarded ‘Luxury Sports Car of the Year’ by the members of China’s 3rd largest portal and Asia’s leading instant messenger QQ.com. The leading Chinese publication Hurun Report awarded Spyker with a second place on its list of ‘Favourite Sport Cars’ in Beijing. Spyker Squadron entered two Spyker C8 Spyder GT2Rs in GT2 class for the entire 2006 European Le Mans Endurance Race (LMS) series, including the 24 hours of Le Mans; several FIA GT races and the 12 Hours of Sebring (American Le Mans Series). In February 2006 the Le Mans organisation Automobile Club de L’Ouest (AC0) already accepted the two Spyker race cars for the 74th “24-hours du Mans” on 17-18 June 2006.

The Spyker D12 Peking-to-Paris, made its worldwide debut during the Geneva Motor Show on 28 February 2006. It is Spyker’s first Super Sports Utility Vehicle and marks the second product line. The car is a four-wheel drive, four-door, four-seater luxury super sports car powered by a 6.0 litre W12 engine. Spyker was chosen for another major movie production: the film ROGUE with Jet Li and Jason Statham as lead actors. In the movie Jet Li’s character (Rogue) drives a Spyker C8 Spyder. Two Spyker C8 Spyders and one Spyker C12 LaTurbie were delivered to the movie set in Canada where  filming took place in May 2006. The movie is scheduled for a 2007 release. On June 17th 2006 Spyker participated for the first time with a two car line-up during the 24 Hours of Le Mans. On 16 July 2006 Spyker finished 3rd in the 1000 km of Nürburgring. On 30 July 2006 Spyker finished in 4th place during the 24hours of Spa-Francorchamps.