Tag Archives: j12

Hispano-Suiza J12

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1934 Hispano-Suiza J12 Coupe Chauffeur by Kellner

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Paris, France | January 2024

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The J12 was Hispano-Suiza‘s grandest automobile. It entered production in 1931 in Hispano-Suiza‘s factory in France. Designed by the company’s longtime chief engineer, Marc Birkigt, it was offered to customers as a bare chassis only.

Power is from a 9.4-liter V12 that was rated at 220 horsepower. This was a stout car for the period, right up there with the Model J Duesenberg. This example wears town car coachwork by Kellner and was originally delivered to the owner of Christian Dior.

It has known ownership back to the 1970s and entered its current collection in 2003. It, like a few other cars from this collection, is absent its headlights. But no mention of that – or anything about its mechanical condition, in the catalog (just a passing mention that its restoration needs to be completed). So spend your $330,000-$440,000 at your own risk. Click here for more info.

Hispano-Suiza J12 Dual Cowl

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1932 Hispano-Suiza J12 Dual Cowl Phaeton by Binder

Offered by Gooding & Company | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 18, 2020

Photo – Gooding & Company

The J12 was the pinnacle of Hispano-Suiza motorcars. It was introduced in 1931 and replaced the H6 line of cars that dated back to 1919. The model was produced by the French arm of the company and lasted through the end of Hispano-Suiza production in 1938.

It’s powered by a 9.4-liter V12 equipped with two carburetors and good for 220 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. It was no slouch in its day. This car carries beautiful dual cowl phaeton coachwork from Binder. Of the 114 examples of the J12 built, only 10 survivors are open cars.

Provenance is where this car really shines. It was purchased by Briggs Cunningham in 1954. It later made its way to the Collier Collection in Florida, where it remained until it went back to the West Coast in 1988, entering the Blackhawk Collection. That’s where the current owner bought it in the 1990s. That’s quite the lineage. The expected price tag is $1,500,000-$2,000,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $2,425,000.

Three Hispano-Suizas

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Three Hispano-Suizas

Offered during Rétromobile 2018 | Paris France

1925 Hispano-Suiza H6B Coupe De Ville by Kellner

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 8, 2018

Photo – Bonhams

The H6 was a line of Hispano-Suiza automobiles that were built in France (for the most part) between 1919 and 1933. The H6B was introduced in 1922 and could be had through 1929, even though the more powerful H6C was also on sale for most of that time.

The H6B features a 6.6-liter straight-six making 135 horsepower. This car was bodied by Kellner of Paris and sold new to a Parisian owner. In 1967, it was discovered in a French warehouse in all-original condition and was then restored. Refurbished in Switzerland in 2003, the current owner has had the car since 2008. Tell your chauffeur to get their hat ready, because this car is expected to bring between $420,000-$550,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

Update: Sold $411,472.

1937 Hispano-Suiza J12 Sedan by Gurney Nutting

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 9, 2018

Photo – Artcurial

Imposing. That’s the word I would use to describe this beautiful Hispano-Suiza. And imposing was probably the point as it was ordered new by a Maharaja. This was Hispano-Suiza’s grandest automobile, produced in limited numbers between 1931 and 1938. How limited? They only made between 100 and 120 of these cars – all sold as bare chassis only. The owner got to have the car’s body custom built.

This one wears a huge, sweeping sedan body by Gurney Nutting. The J12 is powered by a massive 9.4-liter V-12 that normally makes 220 horsepower. An upgraded engine displacing an additional 1.9-liters was available and it brought an additional 30 horsepower. It is believed that this car carries one of those very rare engines.

Formerly part of the Blackhawk Collection, it is being sold with a beautiful restoration. The interior on this thing is mint: the front bench seat is pristine black leather and the rear passenger compartment looks like a red velvet bordello. Listed as “one of the most desirable examples of the Hispano J12 in the world,” it should bring between $730,000-$1,100,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $788,508.

1937 Hispano-Suiza K6 Pillarless Sedan by Vanvooren

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 9, 2018

Photo – Artcurial

Hispano-Suiza’s H6C was last produced in 1929. The massive J12 could be had between 1931 and 1938 and the K6 was introduced alongside the J12 in 1934. It was built through 1937 with just 204 examples produced.

Vanvooren actually bodied nearly half of all K6s built and this Pillarless Sedan is quite beautiful. It actually almost requires a double take to see that it is in fact a four-door sedan with those tight rear doors hugging the rear fenders. The engine is a 5.2-liter straight-six good for 120 horsepower.

This was one of the last K6s built and one of the last cars to leave Hispano-Suiza’s factory before they closed and turned to military production. Hidden during the war, it changed hands first in the 1950s before making its way to Sweden and then it’s next owner put it in a museum. Restored after 2010 in Germany, this well-traveled Hispano-Suiza has been on museum duty for the last few years. But it should still bring a healthy $220,000-$315,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Artcurial.

Update: Sold $350,448.

Hispano-Suiza J12 Sedan

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1937 Hispano-Suiza J12 Sedan by Gurney Nutting

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 9, 2018

Photo – Artcurial

Imposing. That’s the word I would use to describe this beautiful Hispano-Suiza. And imposing was probably the point as it was ordered new by a Maharaja. This was Hispano-Suiza’s grandest automobile, produced in limited numbers between 1931 and 1938. How limited? They only made between 100 and 120 of these cars – all sold as bare chassis only. The owner got to have the car’s body custom built.

This one wears a huge, sweeping sedan body by Gurney Nutting. The J12 is powered by a massive 9.4-liter V-12 that normally makes 220 horsepower. An upgraded engine displacing an additional 1.9-liters was available and it brought an additional 30 horsepower. It is believed that this car carries one of those very rare engines.

Formerly part of the Blackhawk Collection, it is being sold with a beautiful restoration. The interior on this thing is mint: the front bench seat is pristine black leather and the rear passenger compartment looks like a red velvet bordello. Listed as “one of the most desirable examples of the Hispano J12 in the world,” it should bring between $730,000-$1,100,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $788,508.

Hispano-Suiza Cabriolet deVille

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1935 Hispano-Suiza J12 Cabriolet deVille by Rippon Brothers

Offered by RM Auctions | Phoenix, Arizona | January 17, 2014

1935 Hispano-Suiza J12 Cabriolet deVille by Rippon Brothers

We featured a Hispano-Suiza J12 a few months ago but that car was withdrawn from the sale before it could cross the block so I couldn’t really get a feeling as to what it was going to sell for. The estimate was in the millions. This car shouldn’t be too far off with an estimate between $1,000,000-$1,300,000.

But then again, this car isn’t a long two-door cabriolet. Instead it’s a very stylish and expensive looking four-door limousine-like tank. RM’s catalog description uses the word “aristocracy” and that’s spot-on as this is truly a car for an aristocrat.

The J12 was Hispano-Suiza’s halo car. Built from 1931 through 1938, only about 100 of the magnificent V-12-powered cars were built. This car uses the smaller 9.4-liter engine making 220 horsepower.

Delivered new to the U.K., it made it’s way to the U.S. after a restoration in the 1980s. It became part of the John O’Quinn collection in 2006. A mechanical overhaul was recently completed, making this a better driver than it has been in over half-a-century. This car has it’s original body, engine, and chassis – numbers matching, as they say. It is stupendous and fit for a king. Read more here and check out more from RM here.

Update: Sold $1,045,000.

Hispano-Suiza J12

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1933 Hispano-Suiza J12 Cabriolet by Fernandez et Darrin

Offered by Gooding & Company | Monterey, California | August 17-18, 2013

1933 Hispano-Suiza J12 Cabriolet by Fernandez et Darrin

The Hispano-Suiza J12 is not a car you hear a lot about. You hear about Delahayes and Delages and Duesenbergs and Rolls-Royces (the list really does go on forever). For whatever reason, you don’t hear a lot about Hispano-Suiza – in general. Even less about a specific model.

The J12 was introduced in 1931, replacing the very popular H6 line of cars. It was the top-of-the-line model offered by the company. It used a 11.3-liter V-12 making 250 horsepower. That’s pretty powerful and that’s also a huge engine. Only about 100 were built before the company made the switch to aircraft engines in 1938. Only about 42 to 46 still exist.

They were powerful so they could carry extravagant coachwork – and this car is no exception. Fernandez et Darrin was the successor company to the more well-known Hibbard & Darrin. Same Darrin, new partner (yes that sounds like the tag line for a bad buddy-cop TV show). The body was originally a Sedanca Coupe from the same coachbuilder, but it was modified to its present configuration by a later owner.

This car changed owners over three continents since it was built and has been restored and taken care of. It’s a performer and a looker and the catalog says it’s an “incredible opportunity to return its body to the original… configuration” in order to display it at the most prestigious of car shows. I have to wonder what kind of price it would bring had it kept its original body – as the pre-sale estimate is $2,000,000-$3,000,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Withdrawn.

S/N: 14040.