Pablo Gimeno Valledor
Before we begin, I will explain the title of "Devil's lawyer" under which I frame this series of articles. It refers to the name given by the Church in the canonization processes to the responsible for providing negative data about the person that can be elevated to sainthood. In the same way, there is another person who highlights her virtues, with the Church being the one that finally decides whether or not the aforementioned sanctification proceeds.
Ultimately, it is about equivalent to a trial with a prosecutor who accuses -the devil's advocate-, a lawyer who defends and, finally, a judge who sentences. In this and the articles that will follow, the person writing these lines will act as a prosecutor or devil's advocate in the world of automobiles. And, with some frequency, certain facts are given as truths that, at the very least, deserve the intervention of a prosecutor, so, in a way, I get to be the bad guy in the movie.
And now we go to the first article of the series that will deal with the rivalry between Hispano-Suiza and Rolls-Royce that some take for granted and that, being real, is extremely incomplete.
THE RIVALRY BETWEEN HISPANO-SUIZA AND ROLLS-ROYCE
It is common to hear and read in our country, and only in it, that The Spanish brand was the great rival of the British firm. This is said with the intention of elevating to the heavens Hispanic-Suiza, something unnecessary and incorrect since there were differences between the models of both brands. One of them is that Hispano-Suiza, especially since the appearance of H6 In 1921, it was a high-level car but, Unlike Rolls-Royce, had a more sporting vocation than British models. Or as they say now, the Hispano-Suiza was more “performance-oriented”, compared to the also powerful but calm and calm mechanics of the Rolls-Royce and other rivals.
Nor should we forget that Hispanic-Suiza He was very brilliant in competition with the Copa Catalunya and with its derivative the Tipo 45, better known as Alfonso XIII, which is considered by many historians to be the first sports car conceived as such and, already in the 6s, with very sporty special models such as the so-called Boulogne derived from the HXNUMX.
Ultimately, These were two magnificent, high-end brands., but with a somewhat different conception and vocation. Let's say, in a somewhat simple way, that the owner of a Hispanic I wanted to get behind the wheelWhile the one of Rolls-Royce I frequently rode in the back seat His driver being the one who drove. In any case, as with all generalizations, there are a thousand exceptions to what I just wrote.
LOS OLVIDATED
It also happened, and this is a serious oversight, that in those years and until World War II, in addition to Hispano-Suiza and Rolls-Royce, there were other high-end cars on the market. We talk about the extraordinary Duesenberg, Packard, Cadillac, Lincoln,Pierce Arrow, Isotta Fraschini, Delage, Mercedes, Maybach, Perlees and, if I hurry, even the Fiat V12. Of course, I don't want to forget the ephemera Bugatti royale, Marmon V16 and some stutz.
Therefore, talking about the rivalry between Hispano-Suiza and Rolls-Royce ignoring all the brands mentioned and perhaps some more, shows that those who make this statement They are largely unaware of the history of the automobile, at least that of those years. And this does not diminish either Hispano or Rolls, on the contrary, because They had to operate in a much more competitive market and they certainly succeeded.
NOTE: Pablo Gimeno Valledor is a member of the FEVA Culture Commission.
