1927 Hispano Suiza H6B

The name Hispano-Suiza translates from French to 'Spanish-Swiss,' as this French automobile was born from the genius of a Swiss engineer, Marc Birkigt, and was originally produced in Barcelona, Spain. It was, however, the Hispano-SUizas built in France that would become the most legendary.

Captain Georges Guynemer's 'Escadrille Cigogne' (Stork Squadron) of Hispano-Suiza-engined Spad fighter planes in World War I had proven the genius of Swiss engineer Marc Birkigt and this same brilliance would be applied to the finely engineered new H6 cars built in Paris at the Bois Colombes factory and unveiled to the world in 1919. The radiator emblem of the H6 was the insignia of Guynemer's Stork Squadron, 'La Cigogne Volante,' and the all-new 6,597cc six-cylinder engine was to be the mainstay of production for some 15 years. The updated H6B model followed for the 1922 season and the H6C followed in 1924.

The six-cylinder engine powering the H6 was

The H6 would enjoy significant improvements throughout its existence including the Monza and the short chassis 8-liter Boulogne. It remained modern, and combined aeronautical and automotive solutions to help maintain its status as the best passenger car in the world. It had alloy drum brakes on all four wheels, controlled by a servo so efficient that Rolls-Royce later acquired the license. It was lightweight, fast, and one of the most emblematic models of the 1920s. The 6,597cc (403 CID) six-cylinder engine, derived from one-half of a proposed V12 aero engine, had machined steel cylinders with integral combustion chambers in a cast aluminum block. The two valves per cylinder were motivated by a single-overhead camshaft and a pressure-lubricated crankshaft turning on seven main bearings. The crankshaft began as a 600 lb steel billet that was milled to a 35 lb unit. The water passages were enameled to prevent corrosion, and the block used screwed-in steel liners. The ignition was via coil coils, with each cylinder having two plugs, one on either side of the engine. Maximum power was 135bhp produced at just 2,400rpm, and the almost flat torque curve allowed the H6 to go from walking-pace-to-85mph in top gear.

The transmission was a three-speed manual unit and the conventional ladder frame measured approximately 218 inches (5537mm) and its wheelbase measured 133 inches (3378mm). The suspension used semi-elliptic leaf springs at the front and rear along with a live rear axle.

A handful of prototype examples were made at the company's Barcelona factory including one for King Alfonso XIII who took delivery in April of 1918. Proper production commenced at Bois-Colombes, Paris a short time later.

The H6B was slightly more powerful and the H6C of 1924 received an enlarged 488 cubic-inch (7,982cc) unit with a 4.3-inch bore and 5.5-inch stroke. In this guise, it developed nearly 200 horsepower at 3,000 RPM. Production of the H6 Series continued through 1933 when it was replaced by the J12, which initially employed a 580 CID (9.5-liter) V12 pushrod engine. Between 1919 and 1933, Hispano-Suiza produced approximately 2,350 (as few as 2,158) examples of the H6 Series. Approximately one hundred examples of the H6 were built under license by Škoda in Czechoslovakia from 1926 to 1929.

Hispano-Suiza created the rolling chassis and delivered them to the most prominent coachbuilders of the era.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2022