Victor Muller: Preserving yachts by building value
Victor Muller, founder of Spyker cars and the founding chairman of the Feadship Heritage Fleet, has ambitious plans for the yacht-maker's inventory of classic models, with the aim of preserving the vessels while increasing their value in the resale market…
Victor Muller, famed Dutch businessman, founder of Spyker cars, and now the founding Chairman of the newly-announced Feadship Heritage Fleet, understands the appeal of classic engineering. In his new ambassadorial role within the superyacht market, he intends to highlight the value of older Feadships to their owners and to the resale market.
“The fact is, Feadship stands behind its products, even when they’re 30, 40 or 50 years old,” Muller told SuperyachtNews.com exclusively. “This heritage fleet idea is ground-breaking: It’s not been done before in the yachting world. And it’s very much in line with the work I do on a day-to-day basis with Spyker Cars.”
The luxury group LVMH, which owns 50 per cent of Feadship’s Royal Van Lent division, has built its holdings in part through a concerted effort to ascribe tremendous value to the history of the group’s brands, Louis Vuitton, Möet and Hennessey among them. Until the recent announcement of the Feadship Heritage Fleet, the shipyard has exercised typical Dutch modesty and only quietly focused on its history: Like other superyacht builders today, the yard has been mostly focused securing new build and refit orders. The Feadship Heritage Fleet, while supported by the shipyard, will be an independent owners’ club, run by Müller along with Rory Brooks and Arthur van Berge Henegouwen, who each own classic Feadships.
And typical of his demeanour, Muller’s aspirations for the fleet are ambitious. “I’m looking with one eye at the Ferrari Classiche, which is a factory-owned certification department where classic Ferraris are appraised in terms of their originality, recommendations are given to the owners about preservation, and restoration work can be undertaken,” Muller said. “A certified Ferrari will fetch probably 40 per cent more than a car without that certificate. I’ve suggested that over time, we should be able to offer a certification process whereby Feadship audits the vessel, comes up with recommendations about preserving a yacht’s authenticity, and issues a certificate. That would greatly enhance the value of the vessel.”
Only about one hundred Feadships of any length were launched prior to 1983, making the club an extremely exclusive one. “The owners are very dedicated and passionate,” Muller, who has owned the 1967-launched The Highlander since 2007, said. “People who aspire to acquire a classic Feadship will find tremendous comfort in the knowledge that there is a forum where they can exchange ideas, obtain technical advice and service or an audit, all because of our relationship with the shipyard,” Muller said. “We’ll be able to facilitate acquisition of all the shipyard information on a particular vessel. Those things, I think, will enhance the value of the vessels and increase the chances that classic Feadships will be preserved.”
Muller has taken The Highlander into two her second refit, and from experience is now relying on Feadship expertise to guide his decision-making process. “In the first refit, I applied my forty years of classic car restoration knowledge to managing the work—I can assure you, that doesn’t work,” Muller said. “A yacht is so much more complicated. This time around, I’ve had Ico Vergouwe, Refit Manager at Feadship audit what needs to be done and survey the facilities and subcontractors available to us and make best recommendations. That’s making all the difference. Ocean Marine in Portsmouth, Virgina is extremely capable of getting the work done that we need.”
But Muller is keen to see the involvement of Feadship's dedicated refit team at their Makkum yard increased. "I'd love to see the yard getting much more involved in ensuring that refits of classic Feadships are done to Feadship standards, using proper materials and Feadship-approved contractors, so that new owners in particular don't run the risk of making massive mistakes with non bona-fine contractors."
“The fact is, Feadship stands behind its products, even when they’re 30, 40 or 50 years old,” Muller told SuperyachtNews.com exclusively. “This heritage fleet idea is ground-breaking: It’s not been done before in the yachting world. And it’s very much in line with the work I do on a day-to-day basis with Spyker Cars.”
The luxury group LVMH, which owns 50 per cent of Feadship’s Royal Van Lent division, has built its holdings in part through a concerted effort to ascribe tremendous value to the history of the group’s brands, Louis Vuitton, Möet and Hennessey among them. Until the recent announcement of the Feadship Heritage Fleet, the shipyard has exercised typical Dutch modesty and only quietly focused on its history: Like other superyacht builders today, the yard has been mostly focused securing new build and refit orders. The Feadship Heritage Fleet, while supported by the shipyard, will be an independent owners’ club, run by Müller along with Rory Brooks and Arthur van Berge Henegouwen, who each own classic Feadships.
Victor Muller, Chairman of Feadship Heritage Fleet
And typical of his demeanour, Muller’s aspirations for the fleet are ambitious. “I’m looking with one eye at the Ferrari Classiche, which is a factory-owned certification department where classic Ferraris are appraised in terms of their originality, recommendations are given to the owners about preservation, and restoration work can be undertaken,” Muller said. “A certified Ferrari will fetch probably 40 per cent more than a car without that certificate. I’ve suggested that over time, we should be able to offer a certification process whereby Feadship audits the vessel, comes up with recommendations about preserving a yacht’s authenticity, and issues a certificate. That would greatly enhance the value of the vessel.”
Only about one hundred Feadships of any length were launched prior to 1983, making the club an extremely exclusive one. “The owners are very dedicated and passionate,” Muller, who has owned the 1967-launched The Highlander since 2007, said. “People who aspire to acquire a classic Feadship will find tremendous comfort in the knowledge that there is a forum where they can exchange ideas, obtain technical advice and service or an audit, all because of our relationship with the shipyard,” Muller said. “We’ll be able to facilitate acquisition of all the shipyard information on a particular vessel. Those things, I think, will enhance the value of the vessels and increase the chances that classic Feadships will be preserved.”
Muller has taken The Highlander into two her second refit, and from experience is now relying on Feadship expertise to guide his decision-making process. “In the first refit, I applied my forty years of classic car restoration knowledge to managing the work—I can assure you, that doesn’t work,” Muller said. “A yacht is so much more complicated. This time around, I’ve had Ico Vergouwe, Refit Manager at Feadship audit what needs to be done and survey the facilities and subcontractors available to us and make best recommendations. That’s making all the difference. Ocean Marine in Portsmouth, Virgina is extremely capable of getting the work done that we need.”
But Muller is keen to see the involvement of Feadship's dedicated refit team at their Makkum yard increased. "I'd love to see the yard getting much more involved in ensuring that refits of classic Feadships are done to Feadship standards, using proper materials and Feadship-approved contractors, so that new owners in particular don't run the risk of making massive mistakes with non bona-fine contractors."
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