Features of Minichamps 1938 Dubonnet Hispano-Suiza H6C -'XENIA' LE
Consisting of 84 Parts with 88 Decorations:
About 1/18 Minichamps 1938 Dubonnet Hispano-Suiza H6C -'XENIA' LE
Award: PLACE 3 in the category Classical 1:18.
Currently on display at the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California, the Xenia was based on the Hispano-Suiza H6 heavily modified with independent suspension designed by driver, pilot and aperitif heir Andre Dubonnet. Each wheel was mounted on a single arm extending forward from kingpins at the end of the axle, while sealed, oil-lubricated coil springs and shock absorbers ensured a smooth ride.
The “Dubonnet suspension” was licensed to Alfa Romeo and Simca and sold to General Motors, which marketed it as “Knee-Action” suspension. The sealed coil springs were leak-prone and wildly expensive to repair, however, and the technology never made it into post-war cars.