MONTEREY, CA.- Following an exhaustive multi-year restoration, RM Auto Restoration unveiled the stunning 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C “Tulipwood” Torpedo on the concours field this past Sunday. The result was a Best of Show win at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, marking the team’s ninth victory and the culmination of an extraordinary effort to return one of the most iconic cars in history to its original glory.

“This car is simply a masterpiece. Every angle, every detail—it’s as wild as it gets for 1924 and was so far ahead of its time,” said Gord Duff, President, RM Sotheby’s. “To me, this is the Mona Lisa of cars. I never imagined years ago that our company would be involved in the sale of this car, let alone serve as the restoration firm to return it to its original glory. The fact that our team was entrusted to restore something this important is an incredible honor.”

The “Tulipwood” Torpedo’s return to Pebble Beach is the result of more than 12,000 hours of meticulous craftsmanship by RM Auto Restoration. With a body made almost entirely of riveted mahogany strips, over 10,000 rivets had to be carefully refinished by hand. The car’s fenders, altered in the 1950s, were painstakingly re-created to match their original 1924 design. Across the car, countless small but significant details were researched, sourced, or custom-fabricated, requiring a level of precision and historical accuracy that few restorations demand. The result is a faithful return to form for one of the world’s most celebrated automobiles.

The History

The 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C “Tulipwood” Torpedo is widely regarded as the most famous Hispano-Suiza ever built. Commissioned by WWI flying ace, Olympic bobsledder and inventor, André Dubonnet, the car was created for endurance racing and featured a revolutionary lightweight body made of mahogany strips riveted together by aircraft manufacturer Nieuport-Astra. Its blend of aviation engineering, artistic coachwork, and racing pedigree, including finishes at both the Targa Florio and Coppa Florio, earned it immediate acclaim.

Over the past century, it has been celebrated in books, artwork, and collections, cementing its status as a landmark in automotive design and innovation.

The “Tulipwood” Torpedo sold for $9,245,000 USD at RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction in 2022. Following the sale, RM Auto Restoration took custody of the car, embarking on an extensive research and restoration program. The result was a return to its original 1924 glory, restoring one of the most unique and complex automobiles in history to concours-winning condition.