Rare car sold

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33052, 20 October 1972, Page 11

Rare car sold

A 1926 HispanoSuiza, one of only four "Boulogne” models still known to exist, and regarded as a "grand old lady” among vintage cars, was recently shipped from Australia to Canada in a container.

The car had been sold to a Toronto collector by Mr P. Dale, of Melbourne. It attracted much attention when it was loaded into the A.C.T. container at the depot, the 18ft car fitting into the 20ft-long container with little to spare. Mr Dale bought the car in Nice, France, in 1950. It weighs 2.25 tons, and was built in Spain as one of

only 13 similar models. Seven of the cars were used as a factory racing team which toured Europe in the mid-19205, and two of the remaining six cars have also long since disappeared.

The four remaining cars are now in Britain (one), the United States (two), and now, in Canada.

Each has a straight six engine producing 200 b.h.p., and consuming fuel from the 25-ga)lon tank at the rate of 12.5 miles a gallon. The top speed is 95 m.p.h. — the car does 35 m.p.h. for every 1000 r.p.m. in top gear — and the body on the Dale car was made in Australia by R. L. Baker and Tait. Ltd, of Melbourne.