Hispano Suiza H6C ‘Tulipwood’

In the late 1980s, a devoted Hispano-Suiza collector embarked on an extraordinary project.

Unable to acquire André Dubonnet’s original H6C ‘Tulipwood’ — the famed French flying ace’s personal car — he set about recreating it. Piece by piece.

A correct period chassis, 8-litre C-spec engine and gearbox were sourced, restored, and meticulously married to hand-built wooden coachwork which has been set using thousands of brass rivets.

Long before digital archives, every stage of the six-year build was captured on Polaroid and in faxed documents: a tactile record of supreme and period craftsmanship.

Since its completion in the early 1990s, 1162 has been driven as it was meant to be by its owner, taking part in historic rallies and being used daily in Monaco, parking the car outside the Café De Paris in the exact same position as André Dubonnet did the original all those years ago.

Period authenticity
• Constructed entirely from genuine Hispano-Suiza components
• Built to the exact specification of André Dubonnet’s 1924 H6C ‘Tulipwood’

Engineering
• Correct 8-litre C-spec Hispano-Suiza engine and original gearbox
• Correct period chassis and running gear to match the original car

Coachwork
• Hand-crafted wooden body, built using thousands of individually set brass rivets
• Based precisely on original factory drawings and period photographs

Documentation
• Accompanied by extensive archive including original faxes and Polaroids

Never before offered for sale. This remarkable H6C embodies devotion, precision, and an enduring reverence for pre-war motoring. Please contact us for further details.