The Donkervoort family has been building cars for almost four decades. Know how to? You can see that on TV tonight at 21.15 All family.
The program All Family follows Dutch family businesses. Last year there was an episode about Cito in Eindhoven, importer of Rolls-Royce and one of the two Dutch Aston Martin dealers. You could see how Marissa van Laarhoven and her father Hein run the more than 80 year existing company.
Lightweight super sports car
Tonight you will see how it is possible to produce cars in the Netherlands. Joop Donkervoort started it in 1978, together with his wife Marianne, with the old Lotus 7 as the basis. Son Denis and daughter Amber are now also working in the company, while the Lotus 7 has since been further developed into a lightweight super sports car with a lot of carbon and light metals.
Yet the car is a kind of modern classic, where you will search in vain for airbags, navigation systems, power windows or metal hinged roofs. The family swears by light cars with only the much-needed electronics.
Of course you will also find out what the division of roles is within the family. Denis is now managing director, but of course listens carefully to the opinion of his father - who focuses primarily on development. Amber is responsible for communication, but also for the events, while Marianne does the administration.
Even more fun than watching the program is to take a look at the factory, where guided tours are given from time to time (announced via the website en Facebook).
Incidentally, the approximately 45-minute program of broadcaster WNL is not entirely about Donkervoort. If you look, you also know everything about the raw sausage of the Langelaar family and the tree nursery of the Ebben family afterwards.
All Family, tonight at 21.15 on NPO 1.
Impatient? Then you can already get in the mood with the broadcast by Allemaal Familie about Hein and Marissa Van Laarhoven (from 22: 43).
Looking back
The broadcast of All Family looking back over Donkervoort can here: http://www.npo.nl/allemaal-familie/21-07-2016/POW_03248283?start_at=1679