Photo: Hispano Suiza
Hispano Suiza has teamed up with third-year transportation design students from the Instituto Europeo di Design in Turin, also known as IED, to work on a project linked to the company’s 120th anniversary, which is coming in 2024.
The project is related to the iconic Hispano Suiza Alfonso XIII, aka the T45, which was designed by one Marc Birkigt and produced between 1911 and 1914. According to the company, this is allegedly the first sports car in automotive history, which might explain why it was commissioned by King Alfonso XIII of Spain – a car enthusiast.
The king wanted a sporty and agile model, so he must have been thrilled with a two-seater featuring an in-line four-cylinder engine with 60 hp and rear wheel drive. That car could hit a top speed of 74 mph (120 kph), which was quite impressive by early century standards.
Anyway, back to the project, those students from the IED in Turin were asked to reinterpret the Hispano Suiza Alfonso XIII and adapt it to the near future, so to speak. Furthermore, Hispano Suiza design boss Francesc Arenas worked closely with those students, offering both guidance and advice.
“I am extremely proud to collaborate with the IED of Turin and to be able to offer the necessary tools to its students so that they let their imagination fly,” said Arenas.
“Innovation and passion for design are key elements in the history, present and future of Hispano Suiza. For me and for everyone in the Hispano Suiza team, being able to advise, work and inspire these new talents has been a stimulating and very rewarding experience.”
In the real world, Hispano Suiza have already paid tribute to their heritage through the Carmen and Carmen Boulogne sports cars, both of which are fully electric and quite luxurious on the inside. As for the styling of their exteriors, you probably either hate them or love them.
The king wanted a sporty and agile model, so he must have been thrilled with a two-seater featuring an in-line four-cylinder engine with 60 hp and rear wheel drive. That car could hit a top speed of 74 mph (120 kph), which was quite impressive by early century standards.
Anyway, back to the project, those students from the IED in Turin were asked to reinterpret the Hispano Suiza Alfonso XIII and adapt it to the near future, so to speak. Furthermore, Hispano Suiza design boss Francesc Arenas worked closely with those students, offering both guidance and advice.
“I am extremely proud to collaborate with the IED of Turin and to be able to offer the necessary tools to its students so that they let their imagination fly,” said Arenas.
“Innovation and passion for design are key elements in the history, present and future of Hispano Suiza. For me and for everyone in the Hispano Suiza team, being able to advise, work and inspire these new talents has been a stimulating and very rewarding experience.”
In the real world, Hispano Suiza have already paid tribute to their heritage through the Carmen and Carmen Boulogne sports cars, both of which are fully electric and quite luxurious on the inside. As for the styling of their exteriors, you probably either hate them or love them.
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