Business F1 Top 20 Petrolheads: Evert Louwman, a Passion for Car History

From 1923, Evert Louwman's father's life was dedicated to the automobile. In those years he was selling Ford Model T cars and imported British-made motorbikes. A year later he started a relationship with Horace and John Dodge, who produced cars and Dodge trucks in Detroit, the latter being very popular in Holland, to become their importer. It marked the second milestone on a successful path to becoming the largest importer of cars in the Netherlands. Not only that, Louwman also became one of the largest sellers of cars in Europe while remaining a family business. The young Evert grew up surrounded by cars and gradually developed an appreciation for the design and construction of the cars his father sold. He also became deeply interested in the history of the global automotive industry, when knowledge was scarce in his country of birth. His knowledge base soon became part of his identity and shaped his life.