1926 HISPANO-SUIZA H6B COUPÉ-CHAUFFEUR PAR HIBBARD ET DARRIN

French title
Chassis n° 11431
Engine n° 301458

- Ex-Alec Ulmann
- Exceptional standard of finish
- Recommissioned in 2021

Designed by Marc Birkigt, the 32CV Hispano-Suiza H6 was presented at the Paris Motor Show in October 1919. Renowned for its build quality, first-rate performance, powerful brakes and exceptional comfort, the H6B was one of the best chassis of the 1920s and was fitted with bodies by the leading coachbuilders to orders placed by the great and the good. Chassis no. 11431, fitted with engine no. 301458, left the factory on 13 February 1926 and was taken to the Parisian coachbuilder Hibbard & Darrin to receive a superb ‘Coupé-chauffeur’ body, with a removable roof over the driver’s compartment.
The H6B turned up again in 1978 when it was registered in Pennsylvania; it is also shown in Johnnie Green’s book The Legendary Hispano Suiza, which states that the car had belonged to Alec Ulmann, a famous collector of the marque (a prize dedicated to Hispano-Suiza at Pebble Beach bears his name). In 1988, the car was acquired by a Swiss enthusiast, from whom M. Thanry bought it in 1994. We were blown away by this car’s looks, its proportions giving it a particularly stylish appearance, thanks especially to its small windscreen. The car has benefitted from an older, high- quality restoration, emphasising its build quality and exceptional standard of finish. The rear compartment, trimmed in cloth, is set off by superb wooden inlays and curtains to each window, including the slide-down divider behind the driver. The chauffeur's compartment has an attractive patina, and the dashboard, similar in style to an airplane,
is still complete. The car had not been driven since 2012 but was carefully recommissioned in 2021. It should, however, be given a full service before being used on the road. This car is a splendid witness to a time when the utmost care was taken over their construction and the choice of materials used, a period when car makers applied their expertise to produce models which were made to measure.

Photo © Peter Singhof

The auction of this lot will take place on Saturday 19 March 2022.
https://www.artcurial.com/fr/lot-1926-hispano-suiza-h6b-coupe-chauffeur-par-hibbard-et-darrin-4134-332