Hispano-Suiza 1924 H6B Million-Guiet Dual-Cowl Phaeton. |
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| Manufacturer | Hispano-Suiza |
|---|---|
| Production | 1919 - 1933 |
| Successor | Hispano-Suiza J12 |
| Class | Luxury car |
| Layout | FMR layout |
| Engine | 6597 cc straight-6 7983 cc straight-6 |
| Transmission | 3-speed manual |
| Designer | Marc Birkigt |
The Hispano-Suiza H6 was a luxury automobile from the 1920s. Introduced at the 1919 Paris Motor Show,[1] the H6 was produced until 1933.[2] Roughly 2,350 H6, H6B, and H6C cars were produced in total.
The H6 engine featured a straight-six engine inspired by designer Marc Birkigt's work on aircraft engines.[3] It was an all-aluminium engine displacing 6,597 cubic centimetres (403 cu in).[4] Apart from the new overhead camshaft, it was essentially half of Birkigt's aviation V12 design.[3] The seven-bearing[4] crankshaft was milled from a 600 lb (272 kg) steel billet to become a sturdy 35 lb (16 kg) unit,[1] while the block used screwed-in steel liners,[4] and the water passages were enamelled to prevent corrosion.[5]
One of the most notable features of the H6 was its brakes. They were light-alloy drums on all four wheels[5] with power-assist[1][2][3] the first in the industry, driven with a special shaft from the transmission. When the car was decelerating, its own momentum drove the brake servo to provide additional power.[1] This technology was later licensed to other manufacturers, including arch-rival Rolls-Royce.[2][6]
The 1922 H6B was slightly more powerful. An 8.0 litres (488 cu in) (110 by 140 mm (4.3 by 5.5 in)) engine was used in 1924's H6C.[1]
The H6 series was replaced in 1933 by the J12, which initially used a 9.5 L (580 cu in) V12 pushrod engine.
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A series of five racing H6Bs with short wheelbases and slightly enlarged engines was built in 1922.[1] These were referred to as "Boulogne", to celebrate the H6's triple victory at the sports car race at Boulogne by pilots Dubonnet, Garnier & Boyriven in 1923 (Journal des debats, July 27 1923).[1][6] Woolf Barnato piloted a Boulogne to eight international records, including a 92 mph (148 km/h) average over 300 mi (480 km), at Brooklands in 1924.[5]
André Dubonnet entered an H6C Boulogne in the 1924 Targa Florio.[7] Powered by a 7,982 cc (487.1 cu in) straight 6 (estimated to produce 195 hp (145 kW)),[8] Dubonnet demanded a maximum body weight of 100 lb (45 kg),[5] and the aircraft maker Nieuport- Astra complied with tulipwood strips, fastened to an aluminium frame with thousands of tiny rivets.[7] Dubonnet finished the gruelling event without a body failure, and drove home to Naples afterward.[8]
A later series of short-wheelbase H6Cs was built, eventually being referred to as "Monzas".[1]
A six-wheeled H6 was purchased by motion picture director D. W. Griffith.[9]
In addition to the cars built by the company at its Paris premises, some 50 H6s were built under license by Škoda in Czechoslovakia.[10]