1929 Minerva Type AM Convertible Sedan

Minerva was a Belgian marque and one of the first manufacturers in the world to use the Knight-type sleeve valve engine, which did away with conventional poppet valves. A sleeve fitted between the piston and the cylinder wall slide up and down in a synchronized movement. Ports in the sides of the sleeves aligned with the inlet and exhaust ports of the cylinders at the right moments. The Achilles heel was the high oil consumption and the thick smoky exhaust.

After World War I, Minerva entered the post-war market in 1919 with the 20 CV four, followed by a 5.3-liter 30 CV six. By the mid-1920s, production rose and peaked at 2,500 to 3,000 chassis. In 1927, the six-cylinder, 100-horsepower 6-liter Type AK was introduced. This was soon followed by the Type AL with a larger 6.6-liter engine and the AM. It had a large, 149.5-inch wheelbase which made it longer than a Hispano-Suiza H6B.

Minerva's coachwork was often conservative. In the United States, they were bodied by the Walter M. Murphy Company - the Minerva's dealer for the West Coast.

This particular example wears Convertible Sedan Coachwork by Walter M. Murphy Company. It has a grey and khaki exterior and a burgundy interior. The engine is a 5,952cc Sleeve-valve inline 6-cylinder unit fitted with a single Zenith carburetor and offers 100 horsepower. There is a three-speed manual gearbox and four-wheel Servo-assisted drum brakes.

By Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2018