History in making

THE history of Hispano Suiza is showcased for the first time in the Peralada Castle Museum (Girona, Spain). Visitors will be able to contemplate the past and present of the legendary car brand founded in 1904 by Damián Mateu and Mark Birkigt.

The Hispano Suiza exhibition will close the usual tour of the Peralada Castle Museum. After years of researching to gather the largest number of pieces and objects related to its history, Hispano Suiza becomes part of this important collection.

The Hispano Suiza exhibition encompasses a journey through various decades: from the beginning of the 20th century, when Hispano Suiza was founded, to the present day.

After passing through a luxurious hall, the public will be able to visit a recreation of the offices of Damián Mateu and Mark Birkigt, where countless business and technical ideas, emerged and took shape, turning Hispano Suiza into a point of reference, for luxury, comfort and technical solutions.

In this area, the original painting Dame with a Mink by Ramon Casas takes pride of place: it was used as an illustration on the company’s original shares.

In the Hispano Suiza Workshop, a number of mechanical components are on display, proceeding from Salvador Claret’s Car Collection. Elements such as the Hispano Suiza Alfonso XIII radiator, a
12-cylinder aircraft engine crankshaft, a Hispano Suiza T15/20 engine block as well as headlights, tyres, a camshaft and a vintage toolbox are on display, in addition to many other pieces.

Within the exhibition there are also several trophies that the brand won throughout its illustrious history. The ‘journey to the past’ ends with the exhibition of the Hispano Suiza K6, a 120 hp model produced between 1934 and 1937, of which some 200 units were manufactured. It was the car owned by Miguel Mateu and is now owned by the Suqué Mateu family.

The tour culminates with the current Hispano Suiza which was relaunched in 2019, with Miguel Suqué Mateu, great-grandson of the founder at the helm of the company. It features iconic pieces such as the Hispano Suiza Carmen front grille and the rear wings of the Hispano Suiza Carmen Boulogne.