This is the 2000 Mazel Hispano-Suiza HS 21 Concept, and to begin, first you must know a brief history of the Hispano-Suiza brand. Hispano-Suiza, which is Spanish for ‘Spanish-Swiss, was founded in 1904 by Swiss engineer Marc Birkigt as well as a number of investors. The company is best-known for their pre-World War II luxury cars & their design and production of aircraft engines after World War I. Having built numerous vehicles, most of which are considerably significant and rare, such as the the (1 of 1) 1938 Hispano-Suiza H6B Xenia, the company made a name for itself very early on in the automotive industry. This car however, came a bit late to the party in the year 2000. The HS 21 concept was a collaboration project between Hispano-Suiza & an engineering company from Barcelona called Mazel Ingenieros. A few notable design elements that are unique on the HS 21 concept consist of the ‘nostalgic’ radiator-grille, the butterfly-style doors that were reportedly inspired by the wings of a stork, and of course the front and rear light clusters, which are based on fiber optic technology. The design overall is quite reminiscent to the styling of the 1999 Bugatti 18/3 concept which debuted only one year earlier than this car did. Mazel designer, Francisco Villafañez is responsible for the overall design of this interesting model. Unfortunately, it’s believed this car was never actually fit with a proper powertrain and remained simply a show/display car, however, initially, the car was set to be powered by a BMW powertrain. At it’s initial debut during the 2000 International Motor Show of Geneva, the HS 21 was originally painted in a dark shade of blue, but four years later the same car would be displayed again at Geneva in 2004 with a lighter shade of blue. Mazel failed to secure enough financial support to carry out the project, however, it’s definitely a gorgeous piece machinery, and one that deserves more attention and thought.
How many made? 1 of 1.
Engine: 5.0L Turbocharged V10 producing 500bhp (planned)
Debut: 2000 Geneva International Auto Show
Top Speed: N/A
0-60: N/A
Photo Credit: @byaftp, @afrenchcarspotter
Research: @rarecarsonly