Engine: Inline 6 cylinders, single overhead camshaft 4.33" bore (110mm) 5.11" stroke (140mm) 487 cubic inch (7982 cc) 200hp @ 3050rpm Manufacturer: Ste Francaise Hispano-Suiza Bois-Colombes, Paris, France Price when new: $15,000+ The H6 series of Hispano-Suiza was the most mechanically advanced car of the 1920s. The H6 engines were the first to use nitrided steel to resist wear. The H6 series came with four-wheel power brakes that operated off of a servo mechanism geared to the transmission. The cost of the chassis exceeded $10,000, and custom coachwork added thousands of dollars more to the price. In 1924, the "Tulipwood" Torpedo was commissioned by André Dubonnet who, at the age of 26, was an accomplished aviator and racing driver. His family had made a fortune from the aperitifs and cognacs that bore its name. Dubonnet contracted the Nieuport Aviation Company to build a lightweight body suitable for both racing and touring. Dubonnet had specified that the body could weigh no more than 100 pounds when completed. Nieuport craftsmen formed a frame of wooden ribs measuring up to 3/4-inch thick, which were covered with 1/8-inch wooden veneer. Strips of mahogany (instead of the old, misconception of tulipwood) of uneven thickness and length were then fastened to the veneer with thousands of brass rivets. The body was then sealed, sanded and varnished. The torpedo tail enclosed a 46-gallon gas tank for long distance racing purposes. Upon delivery April 19, 1924, Dubonnet drove the car to Sicily to participate in the Targa Florio--Europe's most grueling speed and endurance contest. Not only was the "Tulipwood" Torpedo the largest car entered, it was also the only Hispano-Suiza. Dubonnet finished the first lap in second place, but tire failure forced him to fall behind. Nearly seven hours after the race began, Dubonnet crossed the finish line in seventh place; more than half of the 37 entries had failed to finish. After the race, Dubonnet continued to prove the durability of his Hispano-Suiza by driving it from Naples to Rome on mediocre roads in slightly more than five hours. HISTORY Hispano-Suiza was most famous as a French make, although its origins were Spanish. The company, La Hispano-Suiza Fabrica de Automobiles, was incorporated in Barcelona in 1904. Marc Birkigt, a Swiss-born engineer who held patents for engine and chassis design, was designing engineer. Hispano "Spain" and Suiza "Swiss" embraced the heritage of the two nations. In 1910, Hispano-Suiza had its first great racing success, the Coupe de l'Auto, in the voiturette class at Boulogne. The Spanish market was poor in comparison to the wealthy, French market potential; so, in 1912, a factory was built in Paris. Between 1911 and 1912, the company was named Sté Française Hispano-Suiza, Lavallois-Perret, Paris; from 1913 to 1938, it was known as Sté Française Hispano-Suiza, Bois-Colombes, Paris. (Sté is the French abbreviation for Societé.) World War I established the reputation of Hispano-Suiza as an aircraft engine manufacturer, as over half of the engines used by the allies were Hispano-Suiza. The H6B was introduced in 1919 and the H6C (8-litre) became available in 1924; the first 8-litre engine is in this featured car. Hispano-Suiza acquired the French auto manufacturer Ballot (bal-oh) in 1930, and the following year produced their largest, most complex and expensive design-the J12 with a V-12 engine. A six-cylinder model, the K6, was also manufactured between 1935 and 1938 when Hispano-Suiza ceased production. COACHBUILDER: Nieuport Aviation Company, France History: Manufactured the famous WWI Nieuport 28 fighter plane.