Hispano Suiza Model: H6B 1929

The Hispano-Suiza H6 is a luxury automobile that was produced by Hispano-Suiza , especially in France. Introduced at the 1919 Paris Salon , the H6 was produced until 1933. Approximately are 2,350 H6, H6b, and H6C cars were produced in total.

Specifications

The motor H6 featured a straight-six engine inspired by designer Marc Birkigt work 's in aircraft engines. It was an aluminum engine displacing 6.597 cubic centimeters (403 cubic inch). In addition to the new camshaft , it was essentially half of the aviation Birkigt V12 design. The seven-bearing crankshaft was milled from a 600 lb (272 kg) steel billet to become a sturdy 35 lb (16 kg) unit, while the block used screwed-in steel liners, and the water passages were enamelled to prevent corrosion.

One of the most notable features of the era H6 brakes. Were drums of lightweight alloy in the four wheels with servo assistance, the first in the industry, driven with a special theme of the transmission. When the car is decelerating, its own momentum drove the brake servo to provide additional power. This technology was subsequently licensed to other manufacturers, including arch rival Rolls-Royce.

The 1922 H6B was slightly more powerful. An 8.0-liter (488 cu in) (110 by 140 mm (4.3 by 5.5 inches) engine was used in H6C, 1924.

The series H6 was replaced in 1933 by the J12 , which initially used a 9.5 L (580 cu in) V12 engine from the push rod .

Special versions

A series of five H6Bs races with distances between axes and short engines slightly expanded was built in 1922. These are referred to as "Boulogne", to celebrate the triple victory of the H6 in the race of sports cars in Boulogne pilots Dubonnet, Garnier & Boyriven in 1923 (Journal des Debats, July 27, 1923). Woolf Barnato piloted a Boulogne to eight international registrations, including a 92 mph (148 km / h) average over 300 miles (480 km), at Brooklands in 1924.

André Dubonnet entered an H6C Boulogne in the 1924 Targa Florio . Driven by a 7.982 cc (487,1 cubic inch) straight 6 (estimated to produce 195 horsepower (145 kW)), Dubonnet demanded a maximum body weight of 100 lb (45 kg), and the aircraft manufacturer Nieuport - Astra complied with tulipwood strips (later known to have been mahogany ),subject to an aluminium frame with thousands of tiny rivets. dubonnet finished the gruelling event without a ruling body, and drove home to Naples afterward. This vehicle is currently located in the Museum Blackhawk near Danville, California .

A later series of H6Cs short wheelbase was built, with the time referred to as "Monzas".

A H6 six wheels was bought by the film director DW Griffith .

Specifications: 1924 H6C Dubonnet Boulogne Targa Florio sprinter

• Length: 5.537 mm (218,0 inches)
• Width: 1.791 mm (70,5 inches)
• Height
  • cover: 1.245 mm (49,0 inches)
  • windshield: 1524 mm (60.0 inches)
• Distance between axes: 3.378 mm (133,0 inches)
• Wheels: 508 mm (20,0 inches) center-lock
• Weight: 1.583 kg (3,490 for lb)
• three-speed manual Transmission
• Suspension:
  • Front: beam
  • Rear: rigid axle, leaf spring semi-elliptic
• Engine: Hispano-Suiza straight 6
  • Diameter: 110 mm (4.3 in.)
  • Stroke: 140 mm (5.5 in)
  • Displacement: 7.982 cc (487 cubic inches)
  • Maximum power: 195 HP (145 kW) at 3000 rpm (estimated)

Skoda

Some H6s were built in the industrial complex of Hispano-Suiza in La Sagrera, Barcelona, but the majority were built in H6s French division of Hispano-Suiza in the paris suburb of Bois-Colombes. About 100 H6s were built under licence by Skoda in Czechoslovakia from 1926 to 1929. To cope with fuels of poor quality are available, the compression ratio had been limited to 4.5:. 1 and the engine power of 100 HP (75 kW) at 1800 rpm

Hispano-Suiza was a Spanish company of luxury cars and competition, which has also had its watershed in the design and manufacture of engines for aviation, marine, transport vehicles, and military, as well as the arms. The brand was founded in Barcelona in 1904 by the Spanish entrepreneurs Damià Mateu i Bisa, Francisco Seix Zaya and the swiss engineer Marc Birkigt. The company had a great development during the second and third decades of the TWENTIETH century until its automotive division was nationalized by the INI (National Industry Institute) in the year 1946, for the establishment of ENASA, a manufacturer of automobiles under the brand Pegasus² and the nationalization of the division for aero-engines filed in France by the French government in 1920, creating the "Societé Française Hispano Suiza, S. A.", being absorbed by Snecma, a subsidiary of the French group SAFRAN in 1968.

The First World War, aero-engines

In 1914 the outbreak of the First World War and the casa Hispano-Suiza had to face a decisive stage in its development. Given the facts, Birkigt and his family moved back to Barcelona, returning again to Paris after the war.

1915 marked a milestone in the history of the brand, since in that year Marc Birkigt ended in Barcelona its first aviation engine. The engines are Hispano-Suiza would be of a great importance during the Great War contributing to the allied victory. We also studied the development of a new engine that had the same mechanical principle as that of the racing cars, based on the technology of direct control. This development had a great importance in the automotive world of the time. But the French factory had to shut down during the war, and the Spanish suffered great problems of supply, and must have recourse to the north american market. In Spain, the internal demand was severely multiplied because of the orders of the Ministry of War, and the leaders of Hispano-Suiza were forced to triple the production in the factory of Sagrera. These engines Hispano-Suiza 140 CV were mounted in the aircraft that the DRY, manufactured for the Spanish Military Aviation between 1916 and 1917.

Spain lacked sufficient mechanical resources as to supply to the aviation of the Great War. In this way, the Spanish government commissioned the production of aviation engines to the factory Hispano-Suiza. The aviation engines were applied to them the principles of direct control. Thus was born a motor of 8 cylinders in V with another new development, the block of aluminum alloy, which managed to reduce significantly the weight of the engine but developing the same power. The allied countries present in the war proved that the engines designed by Hispano-Suiza exceeded with ease to the engines with which they had initially. Accordingly, the orders started to increase, but as the factories of Hispano-Suiza did not have the manufacturing capacity sufficient to supply all the countries, the firm sold licenses of their engines to various manufacturers in different countries such as France, united Kingdom, United States, Italy, Japan, Russia, etc

Came to make 49.893 aircraft engines Hispano-Suiza produced directly by the company or under license, that they obtained excellent results in tests of resistance, reaching to hold up to 50 hours of uninterrupted operation. It should be noted that, although the production of luxury automobiles gave to the prestige of the brand, with time the main volume of business were the engines for aircraft, in particular in France, although the same happened in Spain. Something similar would happen later with Rolls-Royce.

Demand of the French government

Although Hispano-Suiza experienced at that time a great impulse thanks to the benefits obtained in the First World War, the French government filed a lawsuit against the company, gravándola a special tax and arbitrary, arguing baldly that during the war he had accumulated a large capital.

In 1920, the claims of the French administration were ever-increasing, demanding amounts of money that affected the share capital of the company. Damian Mateu refused to pay claiming that it was a Spanish company and that, under the treaty of 1862, any Spanish company would pay tax on French soil, or vice versa. But the French State rejected these arguments and proceeded to the seizure of all the factories and properties that have the signature in France.

Damian Mateu managed to involve the Spanish government, leading to a conflict between governments. This lasted until 1922, in which the two parties agreed to accept the award from the former president of the Swiss Confederation, Gustave Ador. It failed logically in favor of Spain and Hispano-Suiza. Under the agreement, the French branch would have its own entity and would be managed by an autonomous society of the French with French capital, the "Societé Française Hispano Suiza, S. A.", where Birkigt would occupy the position of vice president. The new society had the right to use the trademark and the patent of Hispano-Suiza, and although in the beginning the parent company, Spanish owned most of the shares of the company's French subsidiary, with the continuous capital increases this proportion was reducing.

From France Birkigt always maintained ties to labour and technical the same as the inventor and technical director of both, designing the vehicles and engines of all the factories.

Golden age of Hispano-Suiza, years 20 and 30

The success achieved by the Spanish brand with their engines of aviation during the First World War, caused their capital to grow enormously, giving as a result 6.500.000 pesetas of capital in 1915, and 10,000,000 pesetas in 1918. Given the growing demand, we purchased more land in The Sagrera and opened a new factory in 1915 in the town of Ripoll to set the auxiliary sections of the company.

Since that time, the Hispano-Suiza sported a new emblem along with the flags of Spain and Switzerland: the stork, in honour of a squadron of French aircraft equipped with engines Hispano-Suiza, which was highlighted by his victories in the war with a fighter who had painted this bird on the fuselage of the aircraft. When in 1917 he died in combat one of the most prominent drivers of the aviation partner, Georges Guynemer, a member of the above-mentioned squadron of storks, Hispano-Suiza adopted the stork as a mascot of the brand in tribute to the hero.

The first appearance of the stork silver was produced at the Paris motor show of 1919, on the hood of the new Hispano-Suiza H6B, a luxurious car, avant-garde and sophisticated technique that rode the new engines based on the aviation. The vehicle incorporated in addition to a world premiere: the brakes servoasistidos. Very soon, other brands like Rolls-Royce, Renault and General Motors asked for the patent to Hispano-Suiza, due to the fact that this was an effective system to brake properly cars of much weight, as the large luxury saloon car.

Meanwhile, in Barcelona is paralyzed almost totally the production in 1919 as a result of the strong tensions at work.

In the year 1920 he is back on the production in the factory of French of Bois-Colombes with the new chassis of the H6B, a car ahead of its time, equipped with 6-cylinder engine, and 6.6 L, capable of reaching 150 km/h. The model was created with the aim to compete with Rolls-Royce and was a success in the market.

Also in January of 1920, the kings of Spain inaugurated the new factory Hispano in Guadalajara, requested by king Alfonso XIII to Damián Mateu to ensure the supply of cars, trucks and aviation engines for the Spanish army. The new society had been established in 1917 with the name of "The Hispanic, automobile Factory and material of war, Limited partnership". While Mateu was its president, and the designs of Birkigt, decided to give an independent entity. There were also military forming part of the board of directors. In it were a few affordable cars that not incorporating the Swiss flag in the shield, as the model "Guadalajara", a utility type 24 8/10 HP, but above all, it built trucks for civilian use and military, guns, and military equipment. During that period there were also some armored vehicles for combat and also created a separate section for the construction aircraft, the Hispano Aircraft, which came to have aerodrome itself.

It is worth noting the victory in 1921 the king Alfonso XIII in the course of "La Cuesta de las Perdices" (Madrid), establishing a new brand with its torpedo H6 series, getting very good reviews among the public and connoisseurs.

In parallel, Hispano-Suiza continues breaking records in 1924 with the new model H6C released by the factory of Paris, of 160 HP and well over 150 km/h the car's fastest of its time. We designed two versions, a long wheelbase luxury and another short chassis for the competition. That year he sold two cars H6C chassis short to Great Britain, one to captain Kingston and the other to Wolf Barnato, who broke 8 world records in November 1924, in the motor racing circuit of Brooklands. With the passage of the years keep piling up victories with the H6C chassis short in Spain, the United Kingdom and the united States, where Charles Weyman beats a Stutz-board the H6C in the Circuit of Indianapolis in September of 1928.

In 1924 in Barcelona began the manufacture of the T49, a simplified version, and reduced the large H6 French, who had a 6-cylinder engine with the configuration identical to the large model but with the cylinder head detachable. Both this and the block were cast iron. A year later came out also in Barcelona the T48, a inferior model of 4 cylinder, 58 HP.

In 1925, Carlos Ballester obtained the representation of the brand Hispano-Suiza in Argentina. The agreement included in a first phase the import of the chassis, and later construction of the car bodies in the country, and later to be manufactured in its entirety. It was created so that the society "Spanish-Argentine Automobile Factory S. A. (HAFDASA)", intended for the production of cars and engines, Hispano-Suiza, in addition of parts and accessories for this and other brands of cars, trucks and buses. Among the manufactured models highlights the T49, it is estimated that the number of copies produced around 200. The Hispano-Argentina came to produce diesel engines of their own, up to 150 HP. With them equipped trucks and buses that had little to do with the Hispano-Suiza Spanish.

From 1926 to 1929 also made the successful H6B under license, in the territory of the former Czechoslovakia on the part of the brand Škoda. First of all, putting together the components received from France, in order to subsequently fabricate and assemble the car in its entirety. They came to build about 150 cars that were referred to as "Škoda-Hispano-Suiza 25/100 PS".

In 1928 he launched in France a new model, the supreme 56 46 HP and 6-cylinder steel niturado that as in previous years confirmed the superior quality of the brand, technology, design and elegance.

A year later, in 1929, it started in Barcelona in the construction of the H6C bis improved version of the T60.

In the field of aviation it is worth noting the flight of the Jesus of the Great Power in 1929, an aeroplane Breguet 19 driven by an engine Hispano-Suiza 600 HP, which crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Seville to Bahia (Brazil), and shortly after, an airplane equipped with an engine designed by Marc Birkigt was a historic flight to go nonstop on the route Paris-New York. It would be the greatest feat of the time.

Proof of the economic growth experienced in Europe during the 20's are the two exhibitions held in Spain in 1929. The first was the Exposition Ibero-Americana de Sevilla, in which the flag of Hispanic-Switzerland was located in the Avenida de Portugal, the work of the architect Vicente Traver and occupying a surface area of 1,500 m2. In that same year was also organized the International Exhibition of Barcelona, being located in the pavilion of the firm on the avenue of the Mirador in front of the National Palace of Montjuic.

A testimony to the success and fame gained throughout Europe was the portfolio of customers of Hispano-Suiza, which is noted for its prestige at all levels: the king Alfonso XIII, the king Gustav V of Sweden, Charles II of Romania, Abbas II Hilmi of Egypt, the king of Afghanistan, prince Louis II of Monaco, prince consort of Great Britain, the Shah of Persia, prince Dimitri of Russia, Lord Mountbatten. On the other hand, the bourgeoisie and the elite industrial and financial felt equally attracted by this famous brand, worthy of kings, comparable only to other great luxury brands of the time such as Rolls-Royce, Duesenberg or Mercedes-Benz. Famous customers of Hispano-Suiza were Guggenheim, Vanderbilt, Rothschild, André Citroën, Edsel Ford, Rene Lacoste, Cartier, Bacardi, Cointreau, Tissot, Bulova, Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso among others.

Such was his popularity that even got written a novel in France titled "L'homme à l Hispanic" (1926) (translated into English as "the man of The Hispanic") and that was made into a film in 1933 in this country.

The Hispano-Suiza French presented at the Paris motor show of 1931, the J12, a car characterised by its luxury and good design. The J12 was a car of features unheard of at that date: with an engine is very elastic, fast and quiet, 12-cylinder, 9500 cc and 220 HP, more than 170 km/h and could go from 0 to 100 in 12 seconds.

The factory of Paris discontinued in 1934, the legendary H6 after 15 years in production, as well as the Hispano-Suiza Junior, while the latter continued to be built in Barcelona. In that same year, Marc Birkigt completed in France the design of the K6, 6-cylinder and 30 HP, the ultimate car of luxury designed by the swiss engineer.

In 1938, the last year that produce automobiles Hispano-Suiza in France, Marc Birkigt left as head of production of the factory of Bois-Colombes to his son-in-law Maurice Heurteux, moving to Geneva, along with his son Louis to lead a new company, "The Hispano-Suiza (Suisse), S. A.".

The Second Spanish Republic

The 14 of April of 1931 it was proclaimed the Second Spanish Republic, losing the brand one of its most important sponsors: Alfonso XIII, went into exile. By decree of the new government, the tricolor republican (red-yellow-violet) replaced the flag, the monarchy (red-gualda-red) in the coat of arms of the Hispano-Suiza produced in Barcelona.

The change of regime, affected from the beginning to the image of Hispanic-Switzerland, associated with the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie. The bureaucratic hurdles for the import of raw materials ^{[citation needed]} led to a reduction in production and a decline in sales in Spain. Not so in France, where sales and prestige were at their height.

The factory of Guadalajara had to be sold to Fiat S. p. A., while Hispano-Suiza reserved section of aviation until his transfer to Alicante during the Civil War.

In 1931, 1932, 1933 and subsequent years appeared in the factory in Barcelona, different types of models: the type 60, 20 HP; T64 presented in 1931, 6-cylinder, 90 x 120's that produced a few units; 56 bis (with pieces from France, in regular series and in the type Grand Sport, chassis-extra-low 36 HP, all of them six-cylinder and rapid acceleration.

In the year 1932 it went on sale for the first time a model whose design was not to Birkigt, the T60. This was characterised by carrying camshaft side and valves on the cylinder head sent by tappets and rocker arms; on the other hand was the first Hispano-Suiza with the steering wheel located to the left. This model was replaced in 1934 by the T60 RL that had a design more and more outdated, and the last in 1939 they sold the T60 RLA, based on the previous model but with the frame longer and the engine moved forward.

On December 7, 1935, victim of a brief illness passed away the head of the company, Damián Mateu, the person who is with your vision for the business, the capital (alongside other investors), firmness, and position of the avant-garde had established and consolidated an entire industry. Would happen to him in the presidency, his son Miguel Mateu. Miguel assumes the command of the company under circumstances very unfavourable in an environment prebélico, that resulted a few months in the Spanish Civil War.

With the military uprising against the government of the Second Republic in July 1936, the CNT seized the company. Later the government of the Generalitat of Catalonia nationalized factories Catalan of the brand through a decree signed by its president, Lluis Companys, legalizing the worker-management of the workers ' committees.

In Hispano-Suiza bursts in the committee of workers revolutionaries who kill the manager, Manuel Lazaleta. The directors of the company manage to pass the border and exile in France. Miguel Mateu is stopped at the border of Girona, but thanks to the quick intervention of the consul of France manages to save the life and exile. From there, Miguel Mateu plans to open a factory in Seville for the manufacture and repair of aircraft aviation of general Francisco Franco.

The factory Hispano-Suiza of Barcelona, in the hands of its workers, he begins to build armored vehicles. The machinery in the factory of Guadalajara moved to a workshop of Alicante, where it is used to repair the aircraft of soviet manufacture that participated in the war with the government side. In France, the leaders exiled Hispano-Suiza had supported the military rebels and soon they set up a workshop in Seville for the aviation of Franco.

The 1 of April of 1939, the Spanish Civil War is over and Franco enters officially in Madrid aboard a Hispano-Suiza during the victory parade held on 19 may 1939.

Post-war and transformation

When he finished the race, Hispanic-Switzerland regained the factories of Barcelona and Guadalajara, but the last one was completely dismantled.

In 1940 Birkigt, together with his son, he returned to Barcelona to help Miguel Mateu in the attempt to revive the company. Father and son worked on the development of an engine for trucks, given the urgent needs of the country, called the Type 66, in addition to the project of a cannon.

The company is divided into three sections: one dedicated to aviation, guns and military material; the other to cars and trucks and a third that was called "the Son of Miguel Mateu S. A." for the production of machine-tools. In 1944 he went out to the truck 66 Type G (predecessor to the Pegasus I) of excellent qualities. On its chassis is mounted 4X4 trucks, vans, buses, trolleybuses and trolecares. It also resumed the production of two models previous to the civil war, specifically passenger cars T49 until 1944, and the T60 until 1945.

It was precisely in Barcelona where Birkigt received in January of 1945 the welcome news that in his native country he had been appointed Doctor Honoris Causa by the Polytechnic Institute of Zurich. Also had been awarded in Spain, with the Grand Cross of Isabel la Católica and the Grand Cross of Military Merit with distinctive white, as in France with the Legion of Honour of the French Republic. Given the imminent disappearance of the Hispano-Suiza española, Marc Birkigt returned to Switzerland in order to reorganize the company which had been founded a few years ago, "The Hispano-Suiza (Suisse), S. A.", which he reoriented towards the production of machines-tool, leaving his son Louis in charge of the same, at the time that his son-in-law Maurice was done with the general direction of the factory French. Although he retired to the background, Marc Birkigt was interested in the progress of both companies and is settled permanently in Versoix, near Geneva, where he died march 15, 1953.

The impoverishment and international isolation of Spain became increasingly evident in the period autarkic post-war, coupled with high import tariffs and shortages of raw materials, as well as the high costs of export of cars manufactured led to sales in Spain could be reduced significantly. Even an important part of the higher classes were affected by the loss of capital and goods.

Therefore, the domestic market was becoming very small, while access to the outside was made impossible by the high taxes that the mark had to pay and the reduced capital available to Hispanic-Switzerland after the war.

The franco government considered that the maximum efficiency in the construction of trucks only would be achieved with a large national company and nationalized. It is for this reason that he became involved in 1946, after pressing to their owners in different ways, such as cancelling government contracts, or threatening to cancelarles the license for the import of raw materials, so that access to sell Hispano-Suiza to the newly created National Institute of Industry (INI), finally finding their targets. Founded as the national company ENASA, which acquired the factories and the patents of Hispano-Suiza and that made automobiles under the brand Pegaso. By 1956 it formed a small company of microcar based on a few tools and equipment that was not sold to ENASA, call Factory Hispano.

In France, during the Second World War, the factory of Hispano-Suiza began to build only engines and aircraft parts, leaving also produce cars. It is important to highlight the achievements obtained by the same during the war.

As a result of the Spanish Civil War first and the Second World War then occurs between the two societies, the final separation that would lead to the current situation.

Current situation

Today the car Hispano-Suiza are listed the parts of the collection that they ceased to occur in the year 1945. Even so, they continue to be luxury cars within the reach of a few, who continue raising the admiration of supporters and the general public.

As to the Hispanic-French-speaking Switzerland, is part of the French group Safran, a conglomerate of industries-aerospace, aeronautical, defence, telecommunications and security.

Models in chronological order (cars of city and tourism)