Hispano-Suiza H6C "Tulipwood" Torpedo by Nieuport-Astra 1924, França

 

Hispano-Suiza H6C "Tulipwood" Torpedo by Nieuport-Astra 1924, França
Fotografia




Aperitif scion André Dubonnet lived a life of excitement—six aerial victories as a young pilot during the Great War, development of a namesake automotive suspension he sold to General Motors, and a pioneer of solar energy. In between all these things he competed in Olympic bobsledding and loved fine, swift automobiles, racing Bugattis and Hispano-Suizas. It was the latter that would make his name immortal in motoring circles; he would commission a particularly fabulous streamlined coupe on an H6C chassis from Saoutchik, and create his own Hispano-Suiza-powered automobile, which failed to fledge. Both of these came after his most famous Hispano-Suiza, a car now known to enthusiasts as the “Tulipwood” Torpedo—a car that has been famous since virtually the moment of its birth.
Dubonnet’s machine began as an 8-liter overhead-cam Hispano-Suiza H6C chassis of the newly developed Type Sport. Only Hispano-Suiza co-founder Marc Birkigt himself took delivery of an H6C earlier, reflecting the aperitif heir’s importance to the firm. Dubonnet’s was one of three factory-built lowered surbaissé chassis, fitted with a lowered radiator and a 52-imperial gallon fuel tank, a necessity for long rallies. That the frame was originally surbaissé is seen in a surviving photograph of the engine compartment when new, depicting the lower angle of the water hoses between the top of the cylinder block and the radiator, as well as by comparison of period photographs with other, standard H6C chassis.
The true brilliance came in the coachwork. Some of Dubonnet’s competitors, many of themselves aviators, had begun to figure out that aircraft construction methods could yield techniques useful in the construction of lightweight bodies; thus emerged the earliest fabric-bodied coachwork of the period. Dubonnet seemed to cut out the drawing board between aviation and automobile, commissioning aircraft manufacturer Nieuport-Astra of Argenteuil to body his car. Their creation was designed by their engineer Henri Chasseriaux and formed of delicate 1/8-inch-thick strips of mahogany—not actually tulip wood, but romantic legends and alliterative names both die hard—formed over an external layer that was in turn laid over inner 3/4-inch ribs, all secured together by many thousands of aluminum rivets and varnished. Similar to the “skiff” bodies pioneered in the Teens and Twenties most notably by French coachbuilder Labourdette, Nieuport’s torpedo reportedly weighed only 160 pounds, featherweight by the standards of bodywork to be fitted to such a large automobile; by comparison, it added virtually nothing to the weight of its chassis and engine.
On 27 April 1924, Dubonnet drove the H6C, fitted with Paris registration 6966-I6, in the Targa Florio through the torturous Sicilian mountains, widely considered one of the most rigorous and dangerous performance tests of the era, and finished 6th overall. He then ran the additional lap to complete the Coppa Florio, running 8 1/2 hours on the Madonie circuit, to finish 5th overall, despite his appalling luck with tires. Both events demonstrated the practical success of Hispano-Suiza’s engineering and Nieuport-Astra’s innovation; Dubonnet’s driving skill and the fascinating wooden coachwork made a heavy brute—reportedly the largest car on the field—into a true competitor.
It is not exaggeration to state that the Tulipwood Torpedo was as advanced and remarkable a performance automobile in 1924 as the Pagani or McLaren are held to be today; both employed their time’s most potent drivetrains and state-of-the-art lightweight materials to ensure maximum performance, with no regard to cost. The results were breathtaking in every regard.
Subsequent to its brief but successful competition career, Dubonnet equipped his car for road use, with flat open fenders, a low windscreen, a small door and a large searchlight added on the passenger’s side, headlights, etc., as shown in a photograph taken of him with the H6C. Subsequently the Hispano-Suiza was briefly owned by a Coty, believed to have been the noted Hispanophile Roland Coty, the perfume magnate’s son. According to the biography A Zest for Life, marmalade heir, archaeologist, and automobilist Alexander Keiller from Scotland acquired the car from Coty in early 1925. It was registered by him in London as XX 3883 soon thereafter.
During Keiller’s ownership the car was photographed in the parking field at Brooklands. Additional photographs from his ownership show that the car now had a cover over the rear seat; tendril-like flowing wings, later replaced with cycle-style fenders, and other minor trim changes, as well as what appears to be a new exhaust system. The flowing open fenders and other touches were likely added for Keiller by coachbuilder Barker, whose name appears on original photographs of the car in the Nethercutt Collection’s library; they are very similar to those on Barker-bodied Mercedes-Benzes and Rolls-Royces of the era.
Keiller eventually put the Hispano-Suiza away in the storage facilities of a coachbuilder, possibly Hooper, in Plymouth, and there it remained through the duration of World War II. According to the late, great British motoring historian Bill Boddy in his article “White Elephantitis,” published in the September 1959 issue of Motor Sport, while in storage “a bomb splinter caused some damage to the tail but otherwise it remained in original trim.”
In 1950, Rodney Forestier-Walker discovered the car in storage, and after tea with Mr. Keiller, succeeded in its acquisition. After covering the war wounds in the tail with plywood, modifying front and rear windscreens, and replacing the original Blériot headlights with Lucidus lights, he kept and drove the Hispano-Suiza for six years, writing fondly of his travels in it in an article, “A Journey to Remember,” published in the 3 March 1954 edition of The Motor.
Gerald Albertini, a Standard Oil heir and passionate automobile enthusiast living in London, spotted the car at roadside in 1955, and in the age-old fashion left a note on the windshield offering to buy it. Six months passed before a change in Forestier-Walker’s circumstances led to the consummation of the transaction, held at an appointed spot on a Welsh roadside, as the seller’s family was heartbroken and did not want to see the car go. The return trip home necessitated a pause for fuel, at which Mr. Albertini sat down for a leisurely cup of tea, emerged, and found the attendant still laboriously hand-pumping vast quantities of fuel into the tail’s 52-gallon tank! To add insult to injury, the wealthy owner found his wallet empty, and was forced to pawn his watch to pay for the fuel.
Albertini soon undertook a restoration of his new acquisition, with the mechanical components rebuilt under the supervision of the great Hispano-Suiza technician, George Briand; reportedly the car had only a little over 17,000 miles and showed virtually no wear aside from the clutch. To suit Mr. Albertini’s build, a smaller steering wheel was mounted and the seat moved back, necessitating fitment of a longer outside cranked gear-lever.
Coachwork restoration was handled by Panelcraft of Putney, with repairs made to the areas damaged in the war using new wood, numerous trim changes including copper plating throughout, and the interior outfitted in cream leather. The cycle-style fenders fitted by Mr. Keiller were replaced by the elegant wooden torpedoes currently mounted. Each was meticulously hand-crafted by an elderly boat-builder, Harry Day, who assured Mr. Albertini that “if a craftsman can make them in metal, be assured I can make them in wood.” Each fender was formed of a hand-beaten alloy shell, over which was laid a skin of polished wood, steamed to fit and secured by matching aluminum rivets, then sanded perfectly smooth and polished. The result was fenders that appeared not as an afterthought but to have been there all along, and they still do to this day.
At its completion by Panelcraft, the restored Hispano-Suiza was taken by Mr. and Mrs. Albertini on an extended tour of France and Italy; a photograph taken in 1957, published on the cover of the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, shows it with luggage mounted for the tour!
In 1964 the Hispano-Suiza made its way stateside courtesy of renowned Bentley collector E. Ann Klein. It was rapidly acquired by Richard E. “Jerry” Riegel, Jr., a longstanding enthusiast, motoring historian, and much-missed friend of many, with a letter in the file from Panelcraft describing to him work completed in Mr. Albertini’s care. In Mr. Riegel’s ownership the Hispano-Suiza was occasionally shown with pride during the 1960s. It appeared in the annual Sports Cars on Review exhibit at the Henry Ford Museum in 1965, and four years later at the New York Auto Show.
The Hispano-Suiza was bought from Mr. Riegel at Kirk F. White’s 1973 Philadelphia auction by the late John Warth, who, his son Richard fondly recalls, collected it thereafter and drove it from Pennsylvania into New York City to dine at Lutèce with the restaurant’s owner, fellow French coachwork partisan André Surmain. According to Richard Warth, his father subsequently sold the car to Anthony Bamford, later styled Lord Bamford, then again brokered its sale to wealthy racing driver Michel Poberejsky, also known by the nom de course “Mike Sparken,” who registered it in France in Hauts de Seine as 2396 EA 92. From Poberejsky the car is believed to have passed in 1982 to a Greek shipping executive, Ares Emmanuel, living in London. Around this time, it was also the basis for one of Gerald Wingrove’s elaborately detailed models.
In 1983, the car was acquired from Emmanuel by a new owner, and beginning in late 1985 subsequently underwent an eight-month restoration by Mike Fennel. It was debuted at the completion of the restoration at the 1986 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, winning the Alec Ulmann Trophy for Most Significant Hispano-Suiza. Several years later, it was purchased for the present collection, where, aside from very occasional museum display, it has remained since—preserved and largely out of sight, but seldom out of mind of passionate collectors. During this time, it has continued to occasionally be featured in books and magazines, most recently in November 2021 in the heavily detailed edition of the Hispano Drivers Club Newsletter No. 16, by its editor/publisher Hans Veenenbos.
Overall, the “fuselage” body remains largely in preservation condition. It retains its original woodwork, including the inner sub-layers of wood that shape the outer curves, as noted by recent inspection by RM Auto Restorations. RM notes that some portions have been patched over the years, likely correction of the aforementioned shrapnel damage, with early repairs with aluminum and wood, those done by Panelcraft, and later repairs using some fiberglass. Whereas the car exhibits some age from storage, as well as several fender and metal trim modifications made at Albertini’s behest by Panelcraft, it still makes an impressive statement. At the time of the latest restoration the body was refinished with an orange stain and an outer clearcoat, rather than the original furniture-type varnish. This gave the body rivets a brass tint, but they are actually all aluminum as original. The number “6096” was found marked in chalk on the back of the front seat. Accompanying the car is a fascinating history file, including photographs and research compiled by the noted Hispano-Suiza historian, Hans Veenenbos.
The “Tulipwood” Torpedo is, to borrow an apt cliche, the stuff that enthusiast dreams are made of. Admired and desired its entire life, it is inarguably the best-known Hispano-Suiza, and among the most famous French automobiles ever built—a car held along the Bugatti Atlantic and “teardrop” Talbot-Lagos, a pantheon of small and select company.

Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B Mille Miglia Berlinetta by Touring 1938, Itália

 

Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B Mille Miglia Berlinetta by Touring 1938, Itália
Fotografia


Throughout the late 1920s and 1930s, Alfa Romeo dominated long-distance road racing with their glorious 6C and 8C models; the period from 1928 until the outbreak of war yielding six consecutive wins in the Targa Florio, four consecutive victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and no fewer than 10 wins in 11 years in the grueling Mille Miglia. Indeed, in the period 1932 through 1934, they remained unbeaten in all three events, thereby sealing an unprecedented “hat-trick of hat-tricks” for the Portello marque.
The origins of the 6C went back as far as 1925, although it did not enter production until 1927—initially in suitably modest 1.5-liter, single camshaft, un-supercharged “Normale” specification. In 1928, a new twin-camshaft Sport variant was introduced, while a supercharged Super Sport “Compressore” version was added to Alfa Romeo’s production portfolio the following year for those of a sporting persuasion. That same year marked the first appearance of the evolutionary 6C 1750, which was also available in both supercharged and un-supercharged form, as well as with numerous different body styles, while the new-for-1933 6C 1900 marked the final derivative of the original 6C 1500 model (a design by now eight years old).
By 1934, Alfa Romeo had been subsumed into state ownership, a move which necessarily saw greater scrutiny of manufacturing costs. While the 8C remained the jewel in the marque’s crown from both a technical and sporting perspective, it was complex and relatively expensive to produce, and consequently sold in only limited numbers. A significantly revised and more accessible 6C model was therefore identified as being critical to Alfa Romeo’s commercial future, and stalwart designer Vittorio Jano was duly tasked with its reworking.
Jano retained much of the basic architecture of the previous smaller-capacity 6C engine (specifically, a cast iron block, aluminum cylinder head, and two valves per cylinder), although his newly designed 6C 2300 unit boasted a bore and stroke of 70 and 100 millimeters, respectively—a far cry from the comparable values of 62 and 82 millimeters used in the 6C 1500. Power output for the standard “Turismo” model was 68 horsepower, although the more sporting 95 horsepower Pescara variant was introduced in late 1934; the latter in recognition of Alfa Romeo’s remarkable 1-2-3 finish in the 24 hour Targa Abruzzi at Pescara with a team of Scuderia Ferrari-entered 6C 2300s.
Significantly, 1935 marked the appearance of the 6C 2300 “B” series, which featured a lighter, more contemporary chassis, with hydraulic brakes and independent suspension on all four wheels. Not only did such technical advances afford a significant improvement in ride quality, but they also permitted the center of gravity to be lowered noticeably, with a further positive effect on performance.
While 8Cs—increasingly in ultimate specification 2.9-liter form—continued to attract the plaudits for their overall wins in events such as the Mille Miglia, the new 6C 2300 model proved no less impressive in the smaller-capacity categories. In the 1936 edition of the race, Cattaneo and Donati won the over-2-liter un-supercharged class in their 6C 2300 Pescara, while the following year Boratto and Guidotti finished a remarkable 4th overall en route to another 2-liter class win. The latter pairing was beaten in the overall classification only by the 8C 2900s of Pintacuda and Farina, and the Delahaye of Schell; an achievement which led Alfa Romeo to re-name their top-of-the-line model as the 6C 2300B Mille Miglia in preference to its previous Pescara moniker. As if to underline the 6C 2300B’s giant-killing credentials, the 6C 2300B Touring Spider of Cortese/Fumagalli took a further class win in 1938, the final Mille Miglia before the outbreak of war.
Constructed exclusively using the 300-centimeter wheelbase “Corto” chassis—as opposed to the 325-centimeter “Lungo” version—and the higher-specification 95 horsepower engine, total production of the 6C 2300B Mille Miglia stretched to just 107 units, of which the majority were fitted with either Berlinetta or Spider coachwork by Touring of Milan. This magnificent example of the former, chassis number 815053, left the Portello works in April 1938; its early ownership is unknown, most likely due to the Second World War, but it is first recorded as being owned by Herr Hoffer of Geneva in 1946.
In 1953, Herr Hoffer sold the car to Jean-Louis Fatio, also of Geneva; the car’s history file containing correspondence from Monsieur Fatio confirming that he had purchased the car around this time from “Garage Hofer” (sic) for the princely sum of 500 Swiss Francs, or approximately $100. Interestingly, Monsieur Fatio also noted that the car “ran very very well and that the engine was in perfect condition,” and that the car was a “light greyish green with red leather interior” when he purchased it, although during his ownership the car was resprayed dark blue.
According to correspondence on file, in 1957, Monsieur Fatio sold the car to his friend and fellow Geneva resident Michel Dovaz, who would re-register this Alfa Romeo in France in August 1958. Dovaz—a prominent wine expert and food critic—would retain the car for more than three decades. During this time he amassed a highly unusual and desirable collection of more than 50 vintage and classic cars, all of which were kept in original unrestored condition at his estate in Villemaréchal, roughly 50 miles south of Paris. Evidently a man of considerable taste, Monsieur Dovaz owned, at one time or another, no less than 21 Bugattis, while Alfa Romeo representation extended beyond 815053 to encompass a post-war 6C 2500 Competizione and a 6C 2500 SS Cabriolet as well. This Mille Miglia was privileged to share the most protected barn at Villemaréchal with three prized Bugattis, and so remained better-preserved than others in the collection.
However, in 1983, a book entitled Sleeping Beauties brought the existence of the collection to the attention of the wider world and, from Monsieur Dovaz’s point of view, drew unwanted attention to his very private passion. As a result, he moved some of the cars to a new location in the Dordogne over the next decade or so, electing to reluctantly dispose others—of which 815053 was but one example.
In 1990, ownership passed into the hands of Dutch Alfa Romeo collector and dealer Douwe Heida. Unsurprisingly, the passage of more than 50 years, well over half of which had been in Monsieur Dovaz’s somewhat rustic ownership, had taken its toll on the car, and Mr. Heida duly embarked on the exacting restoration which it so richly deserved. Strenuous efforts were made to establish the original color scheme which, according to original Touring records accessed by Mr. Heida, was reputedly light blue. It was in this form that the car passed into the ownership of Belgian Alfa Romeo aficionado and Pebble Beach judge Raoul San Giorgi in 1997; a man who, by curious coincidence, had purchased Michel Dovaz’s 6C 2500 Competizione only two years previously.
Mr. San Giorgi retained 815053 for only two years, with ownership subsequently passing to Dutch collector and Vintage car dealer Paul Koot in 1999. After a four-year tenure in Mr. Koot’s collection, the car ventured into American ownership for the first time with David Smith, who purchased it in 2003. It was at this point that a second comprehensive restoration was embarked upon with, amongst other things, the body being removed from the Superleggera tubing and sympathetically restored prior to refitment to the frame.
The entire restoration took more than two years and incorporated both a change in exterior color to black and a retrim in dark green leather; the smallest details, from the Carello driving lights to the in-dash Jaeger chronograph, contribute to its period-correct presentation. Under Smith’s ownership, an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce-sourced five-speed gearbox with a BMW clutch assembly was installed in the car to improve its touring capability; the correct-type Alfa Romeo gearbox, numbered 843047, was retained, and it accompanies the car today.
Once completed, the restored car was awarded a Best in Class award at Pebble Beach in 2007 (where it was also a Best of Show runner-up), and a coveted Senior Badge at the CCCA Nationals in Bellevue, Washington in early 2008. Smith then decided to sell the Alfa Romeo, whereupon it entered the Oscar Davis Collection. In 2009, it won the Pre-war Sports Car class at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, further evidence of the beauty of Touring’s design and the quality this chassis’ restoration.
Recent years have seen a discernible and entirely justified upturn in the appreciation of 6C Alfa Romeos of all specifications. No longer viewed merely as the 8C’s little brother, the model’s sporting pedigree, technical prowess—especially in “B” specification—and remarkable versatility ensures that it has been rightly reappraised as one of the most important models ever produced by the company.
In the case of the Touring-bodied 6C 2300B Mille Miglia, one is presented with car of incomparable style, exquisite Art Deco detailing and considerable rarity; in that of chassis 815053 specifically, a car augmented by a fascinating backstory, unparalleled provenance and benefitting from an exacting and subsequently well-maintained restoration. Beautifully presented, and ideally suited to all manner of touring events and concours d'elegance, pre-war motoring can seldom be enjoyed more serenely, or stylishly, than this.

Bugatti Type 57C Cabriolet in the Style of Corsica 1939, França

 

Bugatti Type 57C Cabriolet in the Style of Corsica 1939, França
Fotografia


The Type 57, perhaps the most celebrated roadgoing chassis in Bugatti’s illustrious history, made a name for itself by being the last word in French automotive luxury. As it was beautifully appointed and often wore coachwork from Europe’s most notable coachbuilders, ownership of a Type 57 Bugatti when new was perhaps the best statement of fashion that money could buy. An experienced driver can ascertain hints of the company’s sporting nature through the Type 57’s chassis, and while this vehicle is often associated with the utmost levels of luxury, there is no denying its inherent athleticism.
The Paris Auto Salon of October 1936 marked a propitious crossroads for the Alsatian manufacturer. There, the company introduced a second-series iteration of the vaunted Type 57 that featured a 3.3-liter dual overhead-cam eight-cylinder engine and competition-inspired chassis. In addition to the second-series Type 57, Bugatti also unveiled two sporting variants of the Jean Bugatti-designed model, the 57C and the 57S. Each new model upped the performance ante, with the former offering supercharged power while the latter featured a sporting, low chassis.
Invoiced on 28 July 1939, chassis 57838 was delivered without coachwork to Bugatti’s Brixton Road agency in London. Illustrious coachbuilder Vanden Plas constructed an attractive two-seat roadster body for the car, and it was soon registered with number DWW 222 on 27 September 1939.
The proximity of the delivery to the outbreak of the war has unfortunately resulted in a lack of clarity regarding the identity of the original owner. It is believed Edward G. Thomson, famed sponsor of the Ecurie Ecosse racing team, ordered the Bugatti, but was unable to acquire it until peacetime. Regardless, Thomson had possession of 57838 directly after the war and a photograph on file shows him in the car wearing the original registration numbers at a sand racing event in St. Andrews, Scotland. Thomson ownership continued until 1970; at this point, the Type 57C was sold along with the totality of his extensive collection, including the Le Mans-winning Jaguar D-Type, XKD 501.
Unfortunately, the state of the car had deteriorated over the decades and at the time of sale, only the hood, fenders and two seats remained from the original coachwork. With a lack of photos available showing the original coachwork, it was decided by the then-owner, Leonard Potter, to commission a copy of the Corsica two-seater roadster from the well-known Tourist Trophy model, chassis 57326. This work was completed by Keith Bowley of Ashton Keynes Vintage Restorations.
The Type 57C was later sold to Roney Clark, and then exported to the United States in 1980 by dealer Peter Harper for their client Bryon White of Massachusetts. Oscar Davis then purchased the Bugatti from White in 1989.
In 2004, the car began a multi-year mechanical restoration by Leydon Restorations, and a new Corsica-style body was constructed by D.L. George Historic Motorcars. Drastically different from the previous bodies, the Bugatti now presents with teardrop-shaped pontoon fenders and a low-cut fixed windscreen. The exterior is finished with a single shade of deep red paint and the interior is trimmed in tan leather. The beautiful wooden dashboard is fitted with a comprehensive assortment of Jaeger gauges. Most importantly, the crankcase found under the hood still bears the stampings “57838” and “105C,” matching the Bugatti data and register book.
Now offered from the Oscar Davis Collection, this Bugatti Type 57C, with its incredible performance, style, and provenance, illustrates the greatest virtues of motoring’s most esteemed manufacturer.