King Alfonso’s racer: the Labourdette-bodied Delahaye

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Alfonso XIII, King of Spain (1886–1941), was a motoring man through and through. And there is little doubt that, like few others, he had the means to indulge his passion. Hispano-Suiza is said to have been his favourite marque, which is perhaps unsurprising given its Spanish origins.

When the King announced a 226-mile race near Barcelona in 1909, Hispano-Suiza was eager to support the event. The company later presented him with an example of the car it had developed for the race. What is more, the model was subsequently named in his honour. Thus, the 3.6-litre, four-cylinder Type 15T – or 15/45 hp, depending on the market – became known as the Alfonso XIII. Today, it is sometimes regarded as one of the first true sports cars.

So, is the brutal-looking, chain-driven beast in these photographs the King’s Hispano-Suiza racer? Sadly, that does not appear to be the case. Instead, it is said to be an eight-litre Delahaye dating from 1908, although it was nevertheless owned by our Spanish speed demon. Alfonso XIII was also a keen Francophile.

The car’s body was long attributed to Kellner of Paris. However, the first photograph shown here later came to light, clearly revealing the name of another Parisian coachbuilder: Henri Labourdette. Labourdette had premises on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, a thoroughfare that must surely have appealed to the monarch, who was frequently seen in Paris.

Curiously, despite several photographs of the car being publicly known, remarkably little information appears to have survived about this intriguing racer. Who can help us fill in the gaps?

Words: Jeroen Booij
Pictures: Jeff Randell / Hervé Landois

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