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The choice of European royalty, Indian maharajahs, Hollywoodfilm stars and industrial tycoons, the legendary Hispano-Suizawas superbly engineered and imitated unashamedly by some ofthe world’s leading car manufacturers. Although the marque wasof Spanish origin, it was Hispano-Suiza’s French-built cars thatestablished it in the front rank of luxury automobile manufacturersfollowing the end of WWI. During the conflict, Hispano engines hadpowered some of the Allies’ finest fighter aircraft, and post-war themarque would adopt the stork emblem of French ‘ace’ GeorgesGuynemer’s Escadrille des Cicognes, whose SPAD biplanes hadused Hispano’s V8 aero engine.Not surprisingly, the first post-war Hispano drew heavily on thisexpertise, being powered by a Marc Birkigt-designed, 6,597cc,overhead-camshaft six derived from one half of a proposed V12 aeroengine. A seven-bearing design enjoying the benefit of pressure-fedlubrication, the latter was built in unit with the three-speed gearboxand featured aluminium-alloy pistons running in steel cylinder linersscrewed into the light-alloy block.Maximum power was a heady 135bhp produced at just 2,400rpm,and the almost flat torque curve afforded walking-pace-to-85mphperformance in top gear. A handful of prototype H6s was made atthe company’s Barcelona factory - King Alfonso XIII taking deliveryof an early example in April 1918 - before production propercommenced at Bois-Colombes, Paris.Sensation of the 1919 Paris Show, the H6 featured a light yet rigidfour-wheel-braked chassis that matched its state-of-the-art powerunit for innovation. Indeed, so good were its servo-assisted brakesthat Rolls-Royce acquired the rights to build the design underlicence. The H6 combined performance with flexibility, comfort withgood handling, and safety with reliability in a manner which enabledHispano-Suiza to compete successfully with Rolls-Royce, Bentley,Bugatti, Isotta Fraschini and the United States’ luxury marques.Motor Cars | 195