Production 1931–1938 | Also called T12Type 68 Class Luxury car | |
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Designer Marc Birkigt(chassis only) | ||
The Hispano-Suiza J12 is a luxury automobile that was made by Hispano-Suiza from 1931 to 1938. It was the largest and most expensive car ever built by Hispano-Suiza. It replaced the Hispano-Suiza H6.
The J12 was powered by a 60° V12 engine with pushrod-operated overhead valves and a seven-bearing crankshaft. The engine initially displaced 9.4 L (574 cu in) with bore and stroke both being 100 mm (3.9 in) and with a compression ratio of 5.0:1, delivered 220 hp at 3000 rpm. Two cars were fitted with long-stroke engines displacing 11.3 L (690 cu in) and delivering 250 hp, and several J12s were later upgraded to the larger engine. Each engine block was machined from a single 700 lb (318 kg) billet. To demonstrate the high quality engineering and reliability of the J12, a car is driven from Paris to Nice and back without needing oil or water. The J12 is only available as a chassis, with buyers having to arrange with outside coachbuilders to build a body.
Hispano-Suiza suspended automobile production in 1938 to concentrate on the manufacture of aircraft engines.