Hispano Suiza - Hispano Suiza pre 1914
The Hispano Suiza models designed by Marc Birkigt prior to World War 1 that we are so far able to ascertain are listed below, along with the tyre sizes they used:
- Type D, 4 cylinder "12hp" (80x110mm) tyre size 815x105
- Type A, 4 cylinder "15hp" (80x130mm) tyre size 815x105
- Type B 4 cylinder "20hp" (80x180mm) tyre size 820x120
- Type G, 4 cylinder "20hp" (90 x180mm) tyre size 880x120
Hispano Suiza campaigned their technically advanced cars in races during 1909 and 1910 with drivers including Chassagne and Zucarelli, later famous for being part of Les Charlatans while assisting another Swiss Ernest Henri in the design the Grand Prix Twin can Peugeots. For 1911 Coup de l'Auto races the cars were successful and Birkigt then made a road going version with a larger 3619cc engine, christened the Alfonso, after the Spanish King Alfonso XIII's interest in them, of which there were various models but the 3.6 litre 80x180mm model was the most popular. Production ceased at the onset of the war in 1914, by which time the radiators were no longer flat but V shaped, but continued afterwards to 1920.
