Delage CO2 Hispano-Suiza Special

[Sauc3]

The Delage CO2 was manufactured in 1923, in France. In its traditional guise the car was powered be a 4.5 litre overhead valve six cylinder engine and at the time of manufacture was the flagship of the Delage marque.
The Hispano-Suiza H-3 Super Fighter engines were used to power French and Allied First World War Spad Fighter aircraft. This particular engine is a 1921 high compression model which offers final development attributes. Hispano-Suiza were a French based manufacturer of high quality automobiles and aircraft engine. This engine was purchased from a farmer in Sussex, England in 1995 and married with the Delage CO2 chassis to form the Delage CO2 Hispano-Suiza Special.
The Delage Hispano-Suiza Special is similar to the monster aero engined specials which between World War One and World War Two, raced round the famous banked Brooklands Track in England. The car is actively campaigned in historic motoring events in Australia, it is extremely usable and offers fine vintage motoring whether on a race track or vintage rally. It is also docile in suburban and city traffic, and loves the open road.

The Engine is a Hispano-Suiza Aero model H-3, 18.5 litre, super fighter, high compression head. The engine is configured in a 90 degree V-8. Bore size is 140mm and stroke size is 150mm giving a cubic capacity of 18,473 cc. The engine has overhead valve gear which is shaft and bevel gear driven from the crankshaft. The compression ratio is 6.5 to 1.0
The engine is rated at having 390 BHP at 2000 RPM and 1,000 foot pounds of torque
The engine retains its original matched pair of Dixie magnetos, giving each cylinder twin spark.

The Delage CO2 Hispano-Suiza Special retains an original Delage CO2 chassis, front end, rear axle and gear box. The transmission is by ways of a four speed Delage CO2 gearbox and the differential is a modified Delage CO2 with a final drive ratio of just 1.96 to 1.0. Modifications have been made in order to cope with the increase in power.

The car has been driven in excess of 120 miles per hour and has a geared speed of 146 miles per hour. Quarter mile times are in the vicinity of 13 seconds.

Delage CO2 Hispano-Suiza Special #1

[Ferrer]

Originally Posted by Sauc3

Hispano-Suiza were a French based manufacturer of high quality automobiles and aircraft engine.

Erm no, Hispano-Suiza was a Barcelona based manufacturer of high quality autmobiles and aurcraft engines. Eventually they set up a french subsidiary which also produced cars.

[clutch-monkey]

Hispano-Suiza also made cannons and machine guns i think

[Sauc3]

Delage CO2 Hispano-Suiza Special #2

Excuse the pictures, it was my first event with a camera.

[Sauc3]

Originally Posted by Ferrer

Erm no, Hispano-Suiza was a Barcelona based manufacturer of high quality autmobiles and aurcraft engines. Eventually they set up a french subsidiary which also produced cars.

I didn't write the article, I basically copied what was mentioned on the board next to the car.

[Ferrer]

Originally Posted by Sauc3

I didn't write the article, I basically copied what was mentioned on the board next to the car.

Well, our motoring history is not very huge or important... but if we do something remarkable, at least we want to show off...

[carweb]

Actually Hispano Suiza had production lines in both Spain and France, so the article is not all wrong. The founder was still spanish though...

[Wouter Melissen]

Originally Posted by carweb

Actually Hispano Suiza had production lines in both Spain and France, so the article is not all wrong. The founder was still spanish though...

Not quite; as reflected in the name two of the founders were Spanish and one Swiss. The Swiss, Marc Birkigt was the engineer and driving force behind the project.

[Ferrer]

Originally Posted by Wouter Melissen

Not quite; as reflected in the name two of the founders were Spanish and one Swiss. The Swiss, Marc Birkigt was the engineer and driving force behind the project.

And the spanish, Damian Mateu, provided the financial backing.

[carweb]

Originally Posted by Wouter Melissen

Not quite; as reflected in the name two of the founders were Spanish and one Swiss. The Swiss, Marc Birkigt was the engineer and driving force behind the project.

You learn something new every day, thanks for the correction. I

[dydzi]

Originally Posted by Ferrer

Erm no, Hispano-Suiza was a Barcelona based manufacturer of high quality autmobiles and aurcraft engines. Eventually they set up a french subsidiary which also produced cars.

but you have to admit the french part was working long time after the spanish was closed and most of the greatests cars were made there, not in spain, sorry

[Ferrer]

Originally Posted by dydzi

but you have to admit the french part was working long time after the spanish was closed and most of the greatests cars were made there, not in spain, sorry

I know that, but then Hispano-Suiza became Pegaso and produced one of the greatest sports cars ever, the Z-102, in Barcelona...

[dydzi]

Originally Posted by Ferrer

I know that, but then Hispano-Suiza became Pegaso and produced one of the greatest sports cars ever, the Z-102, in Barcelona...

and is making trucks till today, yep cool to know a bit of motorisation history

again, don't want to sound harsh but it's hard to name a car with the most complicated driving system in history and very noisy engine 'one of the greatest sports car ever', you can call it original just as bristol fighter or facel vega

the only undoubtely strong point of pegaso was its apperance, too bad the bodies were made in touring in modena or sauotchik from paris

[Ferrer]

Originally Posted by dydzi

and is making trucks till today, yep cool to know a bit of motorisation history

again, don't want to sound harsh but it's hard to name a car with the most complicated driving system in history and very noisy engine 'one of the greatest sports car ever', you can call it original just as bristol fighter or facel vega

the only undoubtely strong point of pegaso was its apperance, too bad the bodies were made in touring in modena or sauotchik from paris

The bodies were also made by Serra (the famous Spider) or the factory here. On and a noisy engine? Isn't that what sportscars are all about? The thing is the Z-102 was a rival of Ferrari, and pretty good one. The car had a quad-cam V8 (when did Ferrari started using DOHC engine?... ) and 5-speed gearbox (when did Ferrari start using 5-speed 'boxes?... ). On the last version of the V8, a 3.2-litre twin supercharged engine, it was giving 360bhp, much more than Ferrari had then. And all this in the 50's. Pegasos were at least as good as Ferraris, if not better. Oh and the Pegaso Z-102 Thrill Berlinetta is arguably one of the most beautiful cars ever.