1911 Hispano Suiza King Alfonso XIII

Hispano-Suiza was an automobile manufacturer founded in 1904 by Marc Birkigt and Damián Mateu. Its origins, however, date farther back to 1898 when Emilio de la Cuadra opened an electric car factory. One- and two-cylinder powered cars designed by Marc Birkigt, the company's head engineer, were constructed at the turn of the century. Birkigt and his business partner acquired the company in 1904, renaming it 'Hispano-Suiza,' which translates to Spanish-Swiss, owing to Birkigt's involvement and Swiss nationality. Success was aided by the King of Spain, Alfonso XIII, who was a devoted Hispano-Suiza owner. He would ultimately have over 30 examples in his fleet, which led to the naming of the model after the marque's biggest patron.

Hispano-Suiza automobiles were renowned for their performance, capable of carrying large and luxurious coachwork, and aptly suited for motorsport competition. Many examples were entered in various road races around the world, and Mr. Birkigt formally entered the factory into these forays and consistently improved the performance of his team cars.

Intended for voiturette racing, Birkigt developed a long-stroke, T-head, cast-iron four-cylinder engine that developed 64 horsepower from a little over 3.6 liters of displacement. One example won the 1910 Coupe de l'Auto race in Boulogne, France, with Frenchman Paul Zuccarelli at the wheel. Racing success led to strong customer demand, and Hispano-Suiza chose to name this new model Alfonso XIII after King Alfonso. In stock configuration, these models could achieve 75 mph, with 70 mph achievable in racing guise. The Alfonso XIII became one of Europe's first purpose-built sports cars.

by Daniel Vaughan | May 2024