1915 Hispano-Suiza Alfonso XIII
- Engine
- 3.6L twin-cam inline-four, 64 bhp at 2300 rpm
Hispano-Suiza chassis 2252 is a 1915 Alfonso XIII — one of the earliest purpose-built production sports cars — with a documented, unbroken history spanning over a century of continuous use. Dispatched from the Paris factory to Australia, it passed through several long-term Australian owners before reaching the York Motor Museum of Western Australia in 1983, where a comprehensive restoration was completed in 1988. The car has since appeared at Pebble Beach and various international historic rallies.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold £263,750 (≈ $330K)
- 1915 → 1927Factory deliveryH Williamspartial documentation
Senior figure at Dunlop Rubber Company; took delivery of the car after it was bodied by a Sydney coachbuilder and used it for essential business travel during wartime.
- 1927 → 1958Private saleAngus Eyrespartial documentation
Railway engineer in New South Wales who relied on the car as daily transport, including for wartime essential duties.
- 1958 → 1983Private saleGeorge Greenpartial documentation
Enthusiast-collector who made mechanical modifications including an auxiliary oil pump, and used the car extensively in rallies; by 1976 estimated total mileage had reached roughly half a million miles.
- 1983 →Private saleYork Motor Museum of Western Australiafull documentation
Museum founded by Peter Briggs; commissioned a comprehensive restoration completed in 1988, including a new body modelled on a skiff-bodied example and a freshly cast engine block.
Competition
- 1960Katoomba Rally
George Green participated in this event and continued to enter it annually through 1974.
- 1961Katoomba Rally
Part of Green's repeated annual entries spanning 1960 to 1974.
- 1962Katoomba Rally
Part of Green's repeated annual entries spanning 1960 to 1974.
- 1963Katoomba Rally
Part of Green's repeated annual entries spanning 1960 to 1974.
- 1964Katoomba Rally
Part of Green's repeated annual entries spanning 1960 to 1974.
- 1965Katoomba Rally
Part of Green's repeated annual entries spanning 1960 to 1974.
- 1966Katoomba Rally
Part of Green's repeated annual entries spanning 1960 to 1974.
- 1967Katoomba Rally
Part of Green's repeated annual entries spanning 1960 to 1974.
- 1968Katoomba Rally
Part of Green's repeated annual entries spanning 1960 to 1974.
- 1969Katoomba Rally
Part of Green's repeated annual entries spanning 1960 to 1974.
- 1970Sydney to Melbourne International Rally
Entered by George Green during his ownership period.
- 1970Katoomba Rally
Part of Green's repeated annual entries spanning 1960 to 1974.
- 1971Katoomba Rally
Part of Green's repeated annual entries spanning 1960 to 1974.
- 1972Katoomba Rally
Part of Green's repeated annual entries spanning 1960 to 1974.
- 1973Katoomba Rally
Part of Green's repeated annual entries spanning 1960 to 1974.
- 1974Katoomba Rally
Final year of Green's annual entries in this event.
- —Perth Celebration of the Motor Car
Regular appearances at this Perth event following the restoration's completion in 1988.
- —Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
Entered post-restoration under York Motor Museum ownership; no result recorded in the catalogue.
- —Ritz Hotel Madrid Hispano-Suiza Rally
Competed in this marque-specific rally after the 1988 restoration.
- —New Zealand Pan Pacific Rally
Entered post-restoration under museum ownership; no result stated in the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1985RestorationRoger Fry
A full restoration was commissioned by Peter Briggs and carried out by Roger Fry. The body was replaced with a copy of the skiff-body style associated with a Briggs Cunningham example; mahogany sourced from a recently closed Perth department store was used for the coachwork, with brass fittings and radiator.
A new engine block was cast by VM Engineering using established patterns, and the engine was subsequently reassembled by John Hunting of Perth. Work was completed in 1988.
- 1988Engine rebuildVM Engineering / John Hunting
Fresh engine block cast to established patterns by VM Engineering; the assembled engine was then rebuilt by a Perth-based specialist.
Carried out as part of the broader 1985–1988 restoration programme.
- —Modification
An auxiliary oil pump was fitted, along with other unspecified modifications, during the car's time with George Green.
Carried out at some point during Green's ownership from 1958 onwards.
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