1911 Hispano Suiza King Alfonso XIII Racing Voiturette

One of the most prestigious names of Edwardian motoring, Hispano-Suiza established itself at the pinnacle of automotive engineering with a reputation that was arguably only matched by Rolls-Royce. This reputation was hard-won by the talents of Swiss engineer Marc Birkigt whose successful development of Hispano-Suiza race cars led to the Type 15, later becoming known as Alfonso XIII after the King of Spain became enamored with the model. Fitted with a 3.6-liter, four-cylinder 15T engine producing 64 horsepower at 2,300 RPM, Hispano-Suiza made race cars as marketing tools to get the word out - win on Sunday, sell on Monday was even more of a thing 100 years ago.

This car is one of the race cars offered to the public as a street car, the 15T. With 64 h,p it propelled the car to 80 mph. In race trim, it was capable of 90 mph. The vehicle would rival other race cars and arguably lay claim to the title of the first 'sports car.' This car is an exact re-creation built from an original engine and chassis.

The four-cylinder T-head, 3620cc engine produces 65 horsepower and is paired with a three-speed manual transmission. It has a steel frame, wire wheels, and mechanical rear brakes.

Francisco De La Rocha had nearly forty Hispano-Suiza cars at the time of his passing in 1996. His collection was dispersed by his family, and this particular chassis was acquired by Patricio Chadwick, along with a large collection of spare parts. In 2001, this chassis was purchased by collector Jorge Fernandez, who commissioned a restoration performed by Chadwick's Barcelona shop. Marque historian Emilio Polo was tasked with researching correct details.

A body was created in the appearance of an Alfonso XIII racing voiturette, and the engine was a Hispano-Suiza type 15 four-cylinder unit. Its faux-patinated finish is evocative of the Alfonso XIII racing example owned by Albert Roulinat of Villeneuve-sur-Yonne, a gentleman driver in Spain.

The Mullin collection acquired this Hispano-Suiza via French classic car specialist Charles Bronson in 2004.

This voiturette-style Hispano-Suiza is powered by a 3,620cc T-head inline four-cylinder engine with a single Zenith Sidedraft carburetor and delivers an estimated 65 horsepower. There is a three-speed manual gearbox, two-wheel cable-operated drum brakes, a live rear axle, and a solid front axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs and friction shock absorbers.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2024