MINERVA – year 1927
Manufacturer: Minerva Motors, Antwerp Mortsel, Belgium.
W 1900 r. there were many companies in Belgium: Germain, FN, Metallurgical, Minerva, Nagant, Pipe and Vivinus, producing passenger cars. The most famous company was Minerva, which started with the production of bicycles and motorcycles. The first car was made here in 1900 r. It was a small, powerful 2-cylinder vehicle presented by the Dutch industrialist Cylvain de Long 4,5 kW (6 KM). The Minervetta also turned out to be an interesting model, specially designed for the English market. Single cylinder displacement engine 636 cm3 developed power 3,7 kW (5 KM). The real success came with the new 6-cylinder model z 1906 r.
Manufacturer: Minerva Motors, Antwerp Mortsel, Belgium.
W 1907 r. young American Charles Y. Knight invented the valveless engine. It replaced the inlet and exhaust valves with cylindrical slide elements, which, depending on the position of the crankshaft, opened or closed the intake or exhaust pipes. Knight's spool motor ran remarkably quietly and regularly. Minerva also bought the patents for the Knight engine and already in 1908 r. Minerva with an extremely low-noise 6-cylinder piston engine appeared at the Brussels Motor Show. One of the first buyers of this model was Henry Ford.
After World War I, Minerva continued to specialize in the production of large luxury cars with Knight's valveless engines. From 1921 r. all models had brakes on the front wheels as well, and from 1931 r. the brakes were improved with power steering.
Minerva torpedo z 1927 r. had a Knight 6-cylinder engine with a spool timing and displacement 5344 cm3, cylinder diameter 90 mm and the piston stroke 140 mm.
The cone clutch was replaced with a disc clutch. The car developed maximum speed 120 km/h.
In the late 1920s, Minerva found itself in financial trouble. The representative type of AL z 1930 r. with Knight's 8-cylinder engine, it was the last car to have a valveless engine.
W 1937 r. a merger with another Belgian company, Imperia, took place and the Minerva car appeared for the last time at the Motor Show.