Rebuilding Hispano Suiza
Hispano Suiza continues to attract attention and admirers during its European tour thanks to the Carmen and Carmen Boulogne, the fully electric hypercars with which the brand has come back to life and elevates the concept of luxury and high performance to its maximum power. After taking part in the iconic Salon Privé in the UK, the IAA Mobility in Germany and the St. Moritz International Automobile Week & Motorsport Rendezvous in Switzerland over the past few weeks, Hispano Suiza is now heading to Italy to participate in the Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este.
For one weekend a year, this time from October 1st to the 3rd , the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este becomes the centre of attention in the world of luxury cars. Located in an idyllic setting on the shores of Lake Como and surrounded by mountains, Villa d’Este has been the chosen scenario of Concorso d’Eleganza since 1929, an event that brings together all kinds of vehicles with the concept of luxury and elegance as a common nexus.
Hispano Suiza will take part in the concours with its striking Carmen Boulogne. Designed, developed and manufactured in Barcelona, the Carmen Boulogne is the maximum representation of exclusivity. With a design characterised by sportiness and timeless elegance, the Carmen Boulogne integrates the exclusive legacy of the brand in an ultra- modern, fully electric vehicle delivering no less than 1,114 HP of power. Its name pays tribute to the victories of Hispano Suiza in the Georges Boillot Cup race, held near the French town of Boulogne, and its carbon fibre exterior finish combined with its cutting-edge technology make it a true work of art on wheels.
The Hispano Suiza Carmen Boulogne will be part of the prototype category of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este and is set to become one of the great attractions of the show, which is usually held in May and that, due to COVID-19, has been delayed until today.
Francesc Arenas, Design Director of Hispano Suiza said: “We are delighted to participate in such an iconic event as the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este with our Carmen Boulogne. Design has always been a differentiating element for Hispano Suiza, and it continues to be so today in the new models of the brand. When designing the Carmen and the Boulogne, we tried to combine the worlds of luxury and high performance, just as it happened with our historic models. The exterior of Carmen, in fact, is inspired by the late 1930s Xenia Dubonnet. In its most radical version, the Carmen Boulogne, the extensive use of carbon fibre pays tribute to Hispano Suiza motorsport heritage. We are sure that it will not leave anyone indifferent! “
About Hispano Suiza
Hispano Suiza is a historic Spanish car brand owned by the Suqué Mateu family for four generations. Hispano Suiza Fábrica de Automóvil S.A. was founded in Barcelona in 1904 by Damián Mateu, with the help of the technical director and engineer Marc Birkigt, also a partner in the company.
Between 1904 and 1946, Hispano Suiza manufactured more than 12,000 high-performance luxury vehicles and 50,000 aircraft engines. Its headquarters, technical centre and manufacturing plant are in Barcelona (Spain). Hispano Suiza embodies a spirit that combines the pride of being a Spanish brand with a strong family legacy.
Since its foundation, four generations of the Suqué Mateu family have preserved the family brand, providing momentum and dynamism to maintain its significant heritage. Upon taking control of the company Miguel Mateu, the founder´s son, continued to produce luxury high-end vehicles.
In March 2019 Miguel Suqué Mateu, relaunched the brand at the Geneva Motor Show where he unveiled a fully electric, truly breath-taking vehicle: the Carmen. This elegant and exclusive 1,019 hp model has been designed, developed, and built entirely in Spain. Its exterior is inspired by the classic Dubonnet Xenia and shares the values that turned Hispano Suiza into one of the greatest exponents of the luxury automotive industry, with timeless design, meticulous craftsmanship and scrupulous attention to detail. In 2020, Hispano Suiza presented the Carmen Boulogne, an evolution of the Carmen focused on sportiness and tailor-made to reflect the brand’s racing heritage. It boasts 820 kW (1,114 hp), a top speed of 290 km/h and a 0 to 100 km/h time of less than 2.6 s. Thanks to the recently launched Unique Tailormade programme, based on the brand´s DNA values – Heritage, Sport and Elegance – clients can choose from 1,904 ways to personalise their dream car, choosing interior and exterior details that make their hypercar truly unique. Hispano Suiza will only produce 19 units of the Carmen and 5 Carmen Boulogne. On average, building time for each vehicle is approximately seven months.