Hispano Suiza, legendary cars

The magic of vintage cars can be witnessed first-hand in Barcelona on a tour that offers the opportunity to see models by the manufacturer Hispano-Suiza (1904-1936).

 

Founded by Barcelona businessman Damià Mateu and Swiss engineer Marc Birkigt, the company established one of the most modern factories of the era in the old warehouses of Farinera Gran, in the Sagrera district in 1911. Thanks to the ingenuity of Birkigt, Hispano-Suiza became one of the foremost cars available on the market and a symbol of both luxury and excellence.

 

The Antic Car Club de Catalunya, with head offices in Vía Agusta, currently plays host to the Museo Automóvil de Catalunya, and from here one may visit the Restaurant La Cúpula where three of the seven spectacular models bequeathed by Doctor Melchor Clotet to his foundation, the current owners of the building, are on display. These three models may be admired without the obligation to eat in the restaurant, while the other four are housed in the building’s parking area and may only be seen by appointment.

 

Culture, history and technology on wheels, in an itinerary that may well culminate in the Plaza Hispano-Suiza itself, in the Sagrera district, headquarters of the manufacturers of these legendary cars for so many years.