Do You Want To Go Back To The 20Th Century With Nieuport’S Hispano-Suiza H6C Tulipwood Torpedo (1924)

The 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C ‘Tulipwood’ Torpedo was commissioned by André Dubonnet who, at the age of 26, was an accomplished aviator and racing driver.

The Dubonnets had amassed a fortune from the aperitifs and cognacs that continue to bear the family name. Dubonnet contracted the Nieuport Aviation Company to build a lightweight body suitable for both racing and touring.

Nieuport craftsmen formed a frame of wooden ribs measuring up to 3/4-inch thick which were covered with 1/8-inch wooden veneer. Strips of mahogany (earlier thought to be tulipwood) of uneven thickness and length were fastened to the veneer with thousands of brass rivets. The body was then sealed, sanded, and varnished; when fully equipped, the body was to have weighed approximately 160 pounds.

The torpedo tail enclosed a 46-gallon gas tank for long-distance racing. In 1924 Dubonnet entered the Hispano-Suiza in the Sicilian Targa Florio and he finished sixth; he also finished fifth in the Coppa Florio and first in the over-4.5-liter class.

This wonderful Model represents a rare opportunity to acquire an original.
This is one of the models that was made for the “Time Travel Berlin” VR game where you can travel to 20’s Berlin streets.
With this travel machine, you can move to the 20th century.