Mullin Automotive Museum's Hispano-Suiza Dubonnet Xenia Named 'Best Of Show' At Rodeo Drive Concours D'Elegance
June 19, 2018 by Mullin Automotive Museum• Exhibited on the exclusive Beverly Hills avenue, the Xenia received the top honor during the 25th anniversary Father's Day event
Beverly Hills, Calif. (June 18, 2018) – The Mullin Automotive Museum's 1938 Hispano-Suiza H6B Dubonnet Xenia earned 'Best of Show' honors at the 25th anniversary Rodeo Drive Concours d'Elegance on Sunday, June 17, 2018. The Father's Day event presented more than 100 of the world's rarest and most exotic cars amongst the luxury of the world-famous Beverly Hills avenue. This year, the event welcomed more than 30,000 guests and was highlighted by a special display of approximately 50 silver cars to signify 25 years the event has been put on. This collection included European classics, luxury sedans, muscle cars and supercars, yet the clear standout was the Mullin's silver Xenia with its aerodynamic body styling. 'Our continuous mission at the museum is to share the beauty and history of French automotive styling with the world,' said Peter Mullin, founder and CEO of the Mullin Automotive Museum. 'Each show we participate in provides us with an opportunity to reveal our passion through the most extraordinary cars in our collection. In this case, the Xenia's futuristic design elements make it a showstopper in any room, and we're proud to have shared it with Beverly Hills on Father's Day.' Produced in an era of tall and boxy coaches, the Xenia's distinct features reflect the pre-war era's fascination with industrial machinery and aviation. The doors are fastened by a centrally mounted handle, allowing them to effortlessly slide open and backward, parallel to the body. Mimicking the feeling of a plane floating on air, the smooth handling is due to a coil-spring hyperflex suspension system that was later adopted by Cadillac, Oldsmobile and Buick. This particular Xenia belonged to Andre Dubonnet himself, who hid the car from the Germans during World War II. In the 1960s, the car was purchased and restored by the president of the French Hispano-Suiza Club Alain Balleret, who later auctioned it off to American Charles Morse. Peter Mullin eventually purchased the vehicle in 2003, and it is today maintained under the meticulous care of the Peter Mullin Automotive Museum Foundation. For more information about this car or others in the Mullin Automotive Museum collection, please visit www.MullinAutomotiveMusuem.com.
