With more than 12,000 luxury vehicles produced between 1904 and 1946, Hispano-Suiza is a brand that will forever be associated with the history of the Spanish automobile, although the name is more and more difficult to remember precisely because of the distance over time.
However, the great-grandson of
Damian Mateu, the emblem’s founder, has refused to let it fade into obscurity. In 2019, the brand revived with the Carmen, an electric supercar that, in its Boulogne finish, is capable of producing up to 1,114 hp and reaching 100 km/h in 2.6 seconds.
Hispano Suiza belongs to the
Peralada group, associated with the Catalan Suqué Mateu family, who made fortunes in the casinos of Peralada and Barcelona, as well as in the hotel and wine industry. One of the locations, the Peralada Castle, is also a museum for which they have organized an exhibition on the history of the manufacturer.
In the museum you can see the mechanical parts of the 12-cylinder aircraft engines —of which the brand produced more than 50,000 —, the office of Damián Mateu or even
an authentic Hispano-Suiza K6, of which only 200 were produced. Most of the pieces come from the Salvador Claret Automobile Collection.
In addition, the International Federation of Antique Vehicles (FIVA) this week awarded an award to Damián Mateu as one of the “14 heroes of world motorcycle history 2021”. These prices are the ones that ultimately make the
FIVA Heritage Hall of Fame
Some legends have already been incorporated, such as Carl Hahn, who opened the American or Chinese market for Volkswagen; Nick Mason, the drummer of Pink Floyd, known for his collectors; or the Italians Mauro Forghieri, Marcello Gandini or Gioretto Giugiaro.
Miguel Suque Mateuthe president of Hispano Suiza, stated that “our history deserves to be told to future generations and we are fulfilling our dream of sharing our legacy with visitors to the castle. It has taken years of hard work to put together this collection which combines the past and the present, but now our brand is again a work of art within the museum».
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
