Spyker Plans to Increase Sales With Automatics, Expanded Portfolio

With the introduction of the 2011 Spyker C8 Aileron, and a possible SUV on the way, Spyker has upped its sales target for 2012.

After quietly acquiring Saab from General Motors, Netherlands-based automaker Spyker plans to increase its own sales. Its approach? Offer slushboxes for the 2011 C8 Aileron.

According to Business Week, the small, Dutch manufacturer has only sold 214 vehicles since 2002. Now, company sales manager Peter van Rooy wants to sell 250 C8 Ailerons, the company’s newest model, in 2012 alone.

“This car is much more comfortable and more modern,” he said.

Spyker, which builds each car by hand, was able to cut the number of man-hours per car in late 2009 by shifting production out of the Netherlands. Van Rooy attributed the higher sales target almost completely to the forthcoming automatic transaxles.

“There used to be a lot of demand for it, but we couldn’t deliver,” Van Rooy said, referring to buyers outside the Continent who preferred not to shift for themselves.

We’ve driven the C8 and come away pretty impressed. Will Spyker’s latest offering be enough to attract customers? And how will the planned D8 Peking-to-Paris SUV be received, if produced?

Source: Business Week