1922 Hispano Suiza H6B Labourdette Skiff

This win (1989 Pebble Beach Concours Best of Show) marked the second overall victory at Pebble Beach for the marque of Hispano-Suiza. A 1922 Model H6B serves as chassis, and it bears a fantastic polished metal and wood skiff body created by Labourdette. The French carriage-building firm Labourdette dated back to the mid-1800s and was one of the first to create bodies for automobiles. A closed body that Henri Labourdette designed in 1899 for Louis Renault was the first of its kind. And in 1912, Henri's son Jean-Henri created the first 'skiff,' which debuted on a Panhard 20HP built for Rene de Knyff. This design met with great acclaim and remained popular for well over a decade. This Hispano-Suiza H6B Labourdette Skiff was restored and shown at the 1989 Pebble Beach Concours by Robert L. Meyer of King City, California. Its early history is little known, but after World War II, it made its way to the United States, eventually residing with explorer Giles Greville Healey who claimed to have purchased the car from the Duchess of Alba who had received it as a wedding gift. The car was restored by Phil Hill and Ken Vaughn. It now resides in the Keller Collection.