Hispano Suiza to return to Geneva International Motor Show March 3-5

Barcelona – Hispano Suiza, the Spanish performance-inspired luxury brand, will return to the Geneva International Motor Show (March 3-5) with the Carmen Boulogne, a version of its fully-electric Carmen hyperlux grand tourer that pays homage to the brand’s competition heritage.

A product of the brand’s ‘Tailormade’ department, the Boulogne features design enhancements that reference Hispano Suiza’s racing vehicles from the 1920s, while retaining the Carmen’s exhilarating performance and exceptional luxury.

The Boulogne moniker dates back to 1921 and the George Boillot Cup, in which Hispano Suiza competed with five enhanced versions of the company’s H6 Coupé. The endurance race saw competitors battle for victory for more than 3.5 hours, on the roads around the French town of Boulogne.

Hispano Suiza achieved three consecutive race wins, with drivers André Dubonnet (1921), Paul Bablot (1922) and Léonce Garnier (1923) driving specially modified versions of the Hispano Suiza H6.

Development and build of the Boulogne version of the Carmen will be led by the company’s production partner, QEV Technologies. Also based in Barcelona, QEV boasts a team of highly-skilled engineers with experience across design, engineering, R&D and production for Formula-E teams, supercar brands and mainstream car manufacturers.

Hispano Suiza is a historic car brand owned by the fourth generation of the Suqué Mateu family. Between 1904 and 1946, Hispano Suiza built more than 12,000 luxury performance cars and 50,000 aeroplane engines. Today, with its headquarters, technical centre, and manufacturing facility in Barcelona – Hispano Suiza embodies a proud Spanish spirit with a strong family legacy.

Further details regarding the modifications made to the Carmen to create the Boulogne variant will be announced in early March at the Geneva International Motor Show.

About Hispano Suiza

Hispano Suiza is a historic Spanish car brand owned by four generations of the Suqué Mateu family. Hispano Suiza Fábrica de Automóviles S.A. was founded in Barcelona in 1904 by Damián Mateu with the support of Technical Director and engineer Marc Birkigt – a partner in the company.

In 2019, Hispano Suiza presented the all-new Carmen at the Geneva Motor Show, signaling the resurgence the iconic Spanish luxury car brand.Designed, developed and manufactured in Barcelona, the fully-electric Carmen is a ‘hyperlux’ grand touring car – the ultimate expression of classically-inspired design, cutting edge chassis and powertrain technology, exhilarating power and expertly-engineered dynamics.

In 2000, Hispano Suiza built a prototype luxury two-seat supercar HS21, which was shown in Geneva that year. The K8 and HS21-GTS models, both evolutions of the first, were presented in 2001 and 2002.

Since it was founded, four generations of the Suqué Mateu family have preserved the family brand, injecting impetus and dynamism to maintain the significant heritage. On taking control of the company, Miguel Mateu – the son of the founder – continued the production of prestigious, top-of-the-range cars.

After his death, his daughter Carmen Mateu was nominated President and she continued her father's work, keeping the essence of the brand alive through a diverse range of activities including events, exhibitions, conferences, book and magazine publication, research articles, and participation in rallies. Today, Hispano Suiza is overseen by its President – Miguel Suqué Mateu – the great grandson of Hispano Suiza’s founder.