1933 Hispano Suiza J12

The Great Depression was responsible for the demise of many marques, especially those catering to the exclusive luxury car segment, yet Hispano-Suiza was able to survive, infused with the financial resources from its aircraft engine business. The automobile arm of the company continued, providing a public showcase for the marque. Its Paragon was known as the '54 CV, Type 68, and J12' and it remained in production through 1937 without making any money for its manufacturer, despite a steep price. Production was extremely exclusive, with around 120 examples built in total - all to the specific order of their clientele.

Hispano-Suiza had Swiss and Spanish origins along with a parallel manufacturing base in France. Emilio de la Cuadra, a Spanish army captain, started Hispano-Suiza in 1898. The Swiss engineer Marc Birkigt was hired to design their first gasoline-powered engine for the Barcelona-built Castro. By 1905, they were producing a series of large four- and six-cylinder engines for automobiles. Mr. Birkigt's later work included the T-head fours, a water-cooled V-8, overhead-camshaft engines, and the H6 model.

During World War I, they provided engines for airplanes. Birkigt designed a series of pioneering aircraft engine innovations that included the first use of a cast engine block, propeller reduction gearing, and a hollow propeller shaft to allow the firing of a gun through the propeller.

Inspired by the multi-cylinder wars going on in the United States, Mr. Birkigt began work in 1929 on what would become the J-12. Serving as a replacement for the Hispano-Suiza H6, the J12 was the largest and most expensive model created by Hispano-Suiza. It was built from 1931 to 1938 and was offered solely as a chassis. Its platform could be had in various dimensions including a wheelbase size of 135-, 146-, 150, and 158-inches. The 9,424cc overhead valve V-12 engine was paired with a three-speed manual transmission with synchromesh on the top two gears. The 60-degree engine had pushrod-operated overhead valves, a seven-bearing crankshaft, and a bore and stroke that both measured 100 mm (3.9 inches). With a compression ratio of 5.0:1, the engine delivered 220 horsepower at 3,000 RPM. At least two examples had an even larger 11.3-liter engine which offered 250 horsepower, and several J12 models were later upgraded to this specification.

Every aspect of the Hispano-Suiza was over-engineered. It had dual Scintilla magnetos, fully adjustable servo-assisted brakes, vitreous enameled manifolds, and aluminum castings. It had silent operation, plenty of torque at low revolutions, remarkably quick steering, confidence-inspiring brakes, and throttle response similar to that of a sports car.

Among the coachbuilders who clothed the Hispano-Suiza J12 include Vanvooren, Fernandez & Darrin, Binder, Saoutchik, Rippon, deVillars, D'Ieteren, Kellner, and Letourner et Marchand

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2022