If there was a company capable of dominating the automobile market in its early days, it was Ford. Characterized by increasing its production based on reducing costs and prices thanks to its innovative assembly line, the American company He kicked off mass motoring with his Model T, while opening factories in places as diverse as Cadiz, Buenos Aires and Yokohama.
However, its commitment to what is relatively popular left aside the lucrative high-end segment; no more and no less than the most important market niche for the private transport industry during those days. early days of motorsport along with the one relating to bicycles.
A disparity capable of telling us about the severe social contrasts of an era still without middle classes; those that – in the end – would turn the automobile into a mass object from the 1950s onwards, as the growth of cities, the service sector, credit possibilities and consumption in general increased.
Thus, luxury brands from the beginning of the 20th century found themselves in an open field both in Europe and in the United States. Moreover, apart from setbacks such as the financial crises of 1907 or 1929, They all grew up in general terms, in terms of sales; in fact, there are striking and paradoxical examples such as Duesenberg, which managed to increase its sales after the Crash of 1929.
THE UNITED STATES, A KEY MARK FOR THE HISPANIC-SWISS COMPANY
Founded in Barcelona on June 14, 1904, Hispano-Suiza Fábrica de Automóviles SA experienced rapid growth despite the limited Spanish market. This situation led to the company being established shortly after set his sights on Francewhere in 1914 the company moved from the rented warehouses in Levallois-Perret to the modern facilities in Bois-Colombes.
A key reference for Hispano-Suiza, with a good part of its best and most exclusive models being manufactured there, while in Catalonia the factory The Sagrera He put his efforts into buses and successive models that today we could describe as “access”.
With all this, the first years of La Hispano-Suiza were truly satisfactory, contemplating growth in both capital and profits along with the excellent technical work carried out by Marc Birkigt It raised the brand’s fame to the level of Rolls-Royce or Isotta Fraschini. Just the right context to think big, looking forward to entering the American market as a perfect means to fully establish itself.
Something that happened in 1912 when a group of businessmen based in the United States not only placed a first order with La Hispano-Suiza – which provided the bare chassis to be fitted to the client’s taste – but also announced their interest in become distributors of the brandThis fact soon made the United States one of the main markets for Hispano-Suiza.
TWO LOTS OFFERED BY RM SOTHEBY’S
That said, one cannot be the least bit surprised by the appearance of Hispano-Suiza units among American collectors. In fact, in October, the auction house RM Sotheby’s will offer two lots in this regard at its event in Hersey, Pennsylvania.
The first of them is a Type 16T “Roadster” from 1923 regarding the production of La Sagrera. Equipped with a four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 2,951 cc, these were produced about 950 units between 1916 and 1924. A small, light and nowadays very rare vehicle, of which it is speculated that this is precisely the only unit stored in the United States.
The second one also refers to a much more imposing H6B Tourer from 1926; this one already on a chassis by the Bois-Colombes factory and later fitted with a London body by Hooper & Company.
By the way, as a striking curiosity this chassis 11582 was originally delivered in Kenyawhere it served as a general-purpose car at least until the 1960s – it is worth looking at the period photos on display in RM Sotheby’s catalogue.
After this, the vehicle remained in the United States, where it was not fitted with rims that matched the size of its wheel arch after having been replaced in the sixties with smaller ones and suitable for tires from those yearsWho knows, maybe with a bit of luck this Hispano-Suiza will undergo a proper restoration process. We will keep an eye on it.
Images: RM Sotheby’s
