The Hispano-suiza project that stalled – back in 1939!
The story of an ambitious rebuild grinding to a halt and entering a long lay-up is familiar to anyone keen on barn finds, but an 82-year pause in a project must be one of the longest on record. This 1924 Hispano-suiza H6B was discovered in France during a summer road-trip made by Artcurial’s specialists during which they called in on contacts and collectors, held open days and asked people to bring cars along to local events. The find has only recently been publicised in advance of the auction house’s annual sale, planned to take place at Rétromobile in Paris on 4 February.
‘It was acquired by the vendor’s grandfather in 1925,’ says Artcurial’s Rebecca Ruff. ‘The original coachwork was later dismantled; something that happened quite often in those days, because the owner wished to re-body the car to give it a more up-to-date look. But the work hadn’t got far by the time war broke out in 1939 and the complete rolling chassis was subsequently tucked away. It’s been on blocks on the family property with all the mechanical components protected with paraffin, and the engine’s crank handle turned regularly, so it’s been preserved in optimal condition.’
The car is estimated at €80,000 to €140,000, (£68,500 to £120,000), the broad range perhaps sensible for such an unusual opportunity. When new, the H6 was extremely expensive and advanced, with a 6.6-litre overhead-cam straight-six and the potential for more than 80mph with light bodywork. All proper French-built Hispano-suizas were right-hand drive, as this one is.