SPANISH FLY

n the sliver of time between the Great Wars, Hispano-Suiza experienced what would be known as its glory years. As the name implies, the company’s foundations are a bi-national partnership between Spanish entrepreneur Damián Mateu and Swiss engineer Marc Birkigt. Launched on June 14, 1904, only a year into its gestation the firm produced its first car, a relatively modest four-cylinder, and less than a year after that Hispano-Suiza gave birth to its debut six-cylinder vehicle. The first vehicle of its kind built in Spain, it generated a healthy 75 horsepower and gained international acclaim when the sixer sped across France, completing the route from