Located a few 10 minutes from the Montmeló Circuit (Barcelona), in a Catalan industrial estate and in a warehouse that, on the outside, does not reflect what is cook inside, is the factory of one of the toys fastest, most powerful and exclusive in the world: the Hispano-Swiss Carmen.
Thanks to its strategic alliance with QEV Technologiesspecialists in electric motors and winners of the Formula E World Championship (electric Formula 1) in the 2014-2015 season, Hispanic Swiss has been able to get ahead of many more resourceful manufacturers and create a vehicle far superior at a technical level to the majority of 100% electric cars on the market.
The factory has nothing to do with a automobile factory traditional. about 30 people (out of a total of 42 workers) are in charge of finishing the Carmen in an artisanal way (except for the chassis, which is made in a ship in Manresa by robots) and at the rate of a car every nine months. as it says Sergio Martínez, CEO of the company, “We make our clients’ dreams come true.”
Only 19 and only five
Of Carmen they will only be built 19 units. of the edition Boulogne, only five. Why? In the first case, because the brand was born in 1904 by the hand of Damián Mateu and resurfaced in 2019, so that number 19 seems to be the ideal. The five of the Boulogne also have an explanation: five chassis were built for the George Boillot Cup, which was held in the French town of Boulogne a century ago.
And why the minimal difference in design between one and the other, which is reduced to the fairing or not of the rear wheels? When the Carmen was designed, Miguel Suque, grandson of the founder, was a supporter of faired rear wheels. His brother Javier preferred the visible wheels. Now, the design of the Boulogne also satisfies your preferences.
And the name of Carmen? When the current leaders of the brand met, they thought it appropriate to pay tribute to the wife of the founder, Damián Mateu.
Customization to almost infinity
The Hispano Suiza has three lines of equipment: Heritage, Elegance and Sport. But with the program Unique Tailormade it can be customized to unsuspected limits”, as he says Francesc Arenas, chief designer of Hispano Suiza. With the factory offer between body colors or types and colors of fabrics and interior stitching, there are 1,904 options available.
For example, the first Carmen sold –owned by American businessman Michael Fux- displays a purple bodywork similar to that of a rose that Fux himself sent to the Hispano Suiza factory, requesting that same tone to apply to the carbon fiber of the sports A complexity that, like so many others, they are capable of undertaking in this Spanish company. But this detail cost the billionaire of Cuban origin other six month wait.
for now, there are three units built (including Fux’s) and another three more in the process of being manufactured. Bookings? According to Sergio Martínez, “they come from all over the world, but especially from the United States or the Middle East. Of course, they do not sell it to the first one who arrives with the money. They want to keep the exclusivity level also in potential buyers. If, for example, they detect an indication of money laundering, they are not going ahead with the financial operation.
As for its peculiar design, it has not been done at random or on a whim. This based on the Dubonnet Xenia, for, according to Francesc Arenas, “link the past with the present of the brand”. For this reason, its unique lines, especially at the rear, remember that vehicle from the late 30’s.
