The Allure of the Automobile (page 2)
The 1937 Dubonet Hispano-Suiza H-6C 'Xenia' was designed by Jean Andreau and constructed by Jacques Saoutchick. This automobile has futuristic features such as a wraparound windshield (not seen on production American cars until 1953) and acrylic plastic flip-up gullwing side windows. The dramatically tapered fastback was crowned with a trapezoidal rear window. Exhaust tips were shaped to match the taillights. This large car rode on a 132 inch wheelbase and is now valued at $5 million.
Offered from 1936 to '38, the Mercedes 540K was one of the most handsome prewar sports touring cars produced. About 400 examples were made and featured mother-of-pearl instrument panels, rich leather seats and a signature swept-back windshield, flanked by twin spotlights. The big, heavy 5,500-pound roadster could easily top 100 mph on Germany's Autobahn. This example is owned by Lee and Joan Herrington, the New Hampshire mail-order catalog magnates.
The 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C2900 B Touring Berline was fathered by engineer Vittorio Jano and body stylist Felice Bianchi Anderrloni. The advanced car used a tube space-type frame with an aluminum body. This Alfa series remains one of the fastest of all prewar sports cars. This particular Touring Berline is one of only ten long-wheelbase models produced and was the most expensive car in the exhibit - valued at $12 million.
This 1939 Talbot-Lago T-150-C-SS has a body built by Carosserie Marcel Pourtout and was styled by Georges Paulin. It is powered by Talbot's 244 cubic-inch, 170 horsepower overhead-valve hemi-head straight six, using a Wilson pre-select manual transmission. This rare blue beauty is valued at a $3 million.

copyright 2011 - Joseph M. Sherlock - All applicable rights reserved

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