1932 Hispano-Suiza J12 Dual-Cowl Phaeton Estimate: $1,500,000 – $2,000,000
In 1931, celebrated manufacturer Hispano-Suiza introduced their masterpiece, the J12. The magnificent and
highly exclusive model set new standards of acceleration, handling, braking, and overall performance. The J12
chassis was a triumph of engineering, well ahead of its time, besting rivals such as Alfa Romeo, Bugatti and
Isotta-Fraschini. Just 120 were made over eight years, with many carrying formal closed coachwork. A small
number of customers, however, recognized the J12’s highly advanced performance capabilities and had their
cars built with open, sporting bodies from the most revered carrosseries of Europe. This example, one of as
few as ten open J12s surviving, was bodied as a rakish sports phaeton by the renowned Henry Binder of
Paris. In 1954, Chassis 13016 was purchased by famed collector Briggs Cunningham, and remained in his
collection for 35 years. Today, it is dramatically finished in black with red leather, its dual windshields and
rear cowl providing protection during open motoring. Much has been written of the J12 over the ensuing
decades; it is considered by many experts and historians as the ultimate prewar car, a true pinnacle of
design and engineering. Noted Hispano-Suiza historian Johnnie Green aptly described it, stating that the J12,
“Had no peer, and we shall never see her like again.”
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