1923 Hispano Suiza Boulogne

A Rare and Storied Racing Legend

Technical Specifications:

• Engine: 6-cylinder, OHC, 6.597 cm³
• Coachwork: Boulogne
• Year: 1923
• Chassis No.: 10594

A Rescued Automotive Treasure

This 1923 Hispano-Suiza H6B "Boulogne" has had an extraordinary journey through time, from abandonment to a remarkable restoration.

Discovered in a scrapyard near Grenoble in 1962, the car was rescued and taken to England by collector Jim Taylor. However, by the time of its discovery, the vehicle had been converted into a lorry, with its chassis extended by 800mmand its original wheels replaced with steel discs.

Recognizing its significance, the car was later sold to renowned collector Mike Rose, who embarked on an ambitious restoration to return it to its proper Boulogne specification.

An Unfinished Project Finds Its Way to Australia

By the 1990s, Mike Rose faced financial difficulties, leading him to sell the unfinished restoration project to Georg Leitl of Melbourne, Australia. Unlike its previous owners, Leitl purchased the Hispano-Suiza purely as an investment, choosing not to proceed with any further restoration work.

In 2006, Ivo Smutný acquired the car in Australia and completed the final phase of restoration, bringing it back to a stunning and historically accurate condition.

A Testament to Hispano-Suiza's Racing Pedigree

The Hispano-Suiza H6B Boulogne remains one of the most coveted pre-war performance models, known for its engineering excellence, competition pedigree, and luxurious craftsmanship.

Today, this fully restored example stands as a magnificent representation of one of the greatest sporting Hispano-Suizas ever built, embodying speed, endurance, and historic significance.

The 1923 Hispano-Suiza H6B "Boulogne" played a pivotal role in shaping the identity of Hispano-Suiza as a brand associated with both luxury and high performance, ultimately inspiring the modern 2020 Hispano-Suiza Carmen Boulogne.

A Legacy of Innovation and Performance

The original Hispano-Suiza Boulogne was a lightweight, high-performance variant of the H6B, named after the Boulogne endurance races, where Hispano-Suiza established its reputation as a dominant force in motorsport. With its powerful 6.6-liter inline-six engine, advanced engineering, and racing pedigree, the H6B Boulogne proved that Hispano-Suiza could rival the likes of Bugatti, Bentley, and Rolls-Royce in both performance and luxury.

Fast-forward nearly a century, and the 2020 Hispano-Suiza Carmen Boulogne revives this racing heritage in a modern, all-electric hypercar. Much like its predecessor, the Carmen Boulogne is a high-performance evolution of an existing luxury model, built for speed, power, and exclusivity.

Key Parallels Between the 1923 and 2020 Boulogne Models:

Performance and Racing DNA

• The 1923 Boulogne was a race-bred version of the H6B, built for endurance and speed.
• The 2020 Carmen Boulogne is the track-focused, high-performance version of the Carmen, stripped of unnecessary weight and tuned for maximum performance.

Engineering Excellence

• The original H6B Boulogne featured cutting-edge engineering, including a high-displacement six-cylinder engine and advanced braking system, setting new standards for luxury performance.
• The modern Carmen Boulogne continues this tradition with a fully electric powertrain, producing 1,114 hp (820 kW) and delivering a 0-100 km/h time of 2.6 seconds, making it one of the most powerful and exclusive hypercars in the world.

Lightweight Construction

• The H6B Boulogne utilized aluminum and lightweight bodywork to enhance speed and handling.
• The Carmen Boulogne features a carbon-fiber monocoque and aerodynamically optimized design, reducing weight by 60 kg compared to the standard Carmen.

Exclusivity and Handcrafted Luxury

• Only a limited number of Boulogne race cars were built in the 1920s, making them highly sought after today.
• The 2020 Carmen Boulogne is equally rare, with just five units produced, ensuring ultra-exclusivity for collectors.