1938 Hispano-Suiza Dubonnet Xenia-an art deco masterpiece

Whilst researching a new post on the Pioneer and Voyager spacecraft I came across this car-the 1938 Hispano-Suiza Dubonnet Xenia.

It is simply beautiful-a glorious symphony of mechanised art. If it drove and moved one tenth of how good it looks: Wow!

Make no mistake this could move, sporting an 8.0litre 6 cylinder engine delivering some 120kW and a top speed of 177kph.

Currently on display at the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California, the Xenia was based on the Hispano-Suiza H6 heavily modified with independent suspension designed by driver, pilot and aperitif heir Andre Dubonnet.

Hispano Suiza are a Spanish automobile and engineering firm, specialising pre World War II in luxury cars and aeronautical engines. The one-off Xenia featured hand-built coachwork by Frenchman Jacques Saoutchik. In the late 1930’s luxury car production was increasingly concentrated in France while the Spanish operations moved into the production of commercial vehicles.