1931 Hispano Suiza J12 Transformable Grande Luxe

The J12, produced between 1931 and 1938, was the largest and most expensive automobile ever built by Hispano-Suiza. This is the first of these ultra-luxurious 9.4-liter, 12-cylinder cars to be completed. The factory sent the chassis to Saoutchik, who built this Transformable Grand Luxe coachwork for the 1931 Paris Auto Salon, then showed it at the Olympia Motor Show in London. The first owner was the Shah of Persia, who used it as a royal parade car. The J12 remained in the royal garage until 1963 when it went to American collector Robert D. Ortenburger. In 1979 it was sold to Roy Southward of Wellington, New Zealand. The current owners purchased the car in 2011. It has since been restored and driven on several tours covering nearly 20,000 miles.