High-speed Hisso

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In the 1930s, as it ever has been and ever shall be, society was comprised of those who were poor, those who were rich, and those who fell somewhere in between and, thanks to the various ‘people’s cars’ of Austin, Citroën et al permeating into everyday life, there could be no better giveaway of a person’s social standing than their mode of transport. If you happened to occupy room at the top, there was an easy way of letting everyone know: a Hispano-Suiza.

The Hispano-Suiza J12 of 1931 featured Marc Birkigt’s crowning glory, the 300bhp, 9424cc V12 that would obligingly take its passengers beyond 100mph without, so it is said, shedding so much as a drop of oil. Add to that precision steering, the best brakes of the day and top quality suspension, and you had a car truly in a class of its own. If, however, you were just that little bit better than your fellow Hispano owners, there was an easy way of letting everyone know this, too: get flamboyant Parisian coachbuilder Saoutchik to clothe your high-tech chassis.

Peter Hampton was one man cut out for ownership of a J12 Saoutchik roadster and, during his tenure, this well-travelled 1934 example found favour with ‘Steady’ Barker and became a Japanese LP star. Mick Walsh delves into its colourful history in the January issue of The Automobile, which is on sale now.

 Words by Zack Stiling

Photographs by Mick Walsh

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