Donkervoort is a privately-held company controlled by founder Joop Donkervoort until he retired in 2019 and his son Denis succeeded him as Managing Director in 2021. Marianne Donkervoort, who is married to Joop, and Amber, their daughter, also have played key roles in developing the business and branding of the company. Amber was an equestrian who joined the company as the marketing manager following an internship in China. The Donkervoort S8A was named for Amber, while the D8 was named for Denis.
Joop started the company as a kit car importer in 1978, but upon learning he needed to make significant modifications to make the assembled kit cars street legal, began building the first S7 automobiles using a design derived from the Lotus Seven in a Tienhoven shed. In 1983, Donkervoort moved to a larger production facility in Loosdrecht, followed by another move in 2000 to its present headquarters and factory in Lelystad. Chassis production, which previously had been contracted to an external supplier, was brought in-house to Lelystad in 2003.
