Donkervoort S8A looks fresh again after a mild restoration

Not afraid of aluminum

As Dutch people, we sometimes simply forget to be very proud of our most important car brand of the last decades, which has managed to survive all trends and economic tides for 45 years. Fortunately, people like Danny Roling openly draw attention to the Donkervoort brand with his Donkervoort S8A and no one can miss that. It scares some people, such as the occasional car painter. 

Text & photography: Aart van der Haagen

Donkervoorts are not up for grabs, especially if you formulate specific wishes. Roling: “Preferably an S8A, with a two-liter injection engine and a better braking system than its predecessor, the S8. The later D8 with its round front screens also appeals less to me. I saw two cars for sale that were eligible and I liked the one at a garage near Utrecht the most. White with a red interior, traded in on a BMW in the same color combination. Apparently a favorite of the previous owner. In 1991, the Donkervoort S8A was delivered new in Italy, where Donkervoorts were apparently already quite popular at the time, because of the tax system based on engine capacity and yet serious performance due to the low weight.”

Respraying Donkervoort S8A a bit too exciting

Joop Donkervoort is known as a perfectionist, but Danny Roling no less. “The paintwork showed some damage here and there, including a crack in the hood. I consulted a number of damage repair companies in the area, but none of them dared to fix this. Apparently many painters find aluminum a bit too exciting. A few even feared that there was a crack under the paint. That ultimately turned out not to be the case when Rogi Classics in Etten-Leur started working on it.” “However, we encountered more irregularities than we thought in advance,” says restorer Fred van Gils. “A complete hole in the side panel under the entry cutout on the left and some old damage to the rear, 'expertly' filled with filler. Furthermore, the spare wheel rack on the back of the Donkervoort S8A was somewhat tearing away from the body. So we had to remove some dents and weld in new pieces here and there before we could get the car ready for painting.”

Legs burn

Instead of the original bright white, the choice now fell on a slightly creamier variant, stylishly contrasting with spray-painted racing stripes running the full length of the front. The contrast color of this Donkervoort S8A fits seamlessly with the red interior, which is largely in its original condition, except for the center console upholstery and the carpet. “They were really worn out,” explains Van Gils. Roling: “There are still a few things on my wish list for the near future, such as having the somewhat worn bucket seats reupholstered. We immediately include the dashboard in beautiful dark red.” On a technical level, Danny Roling did not have to worry too much. “Rogi Classics has completed the electrical work, removed the immobilizer and replaced a large part of the exhaust, i.e. the pipe that bends up behind the right rear wheel over the suspension and the center silencer, which is located right next to the passenger entrance. You can burn your legs on that if you're not careful.” Well, you either want an uncompromising sports car or not.  

You can read the whole story about the restoration of the Donkervoort and the experiences in the November issue of Auto Motor Klassiek. It is currently in stores.