ROME – The supercars of the future start from the imagination of the students of the European Design Institute of Turin (IED). From the collaboration between the historic Spanish brand Hispano Suiza and the final year students of the three-year course in Transportation Design IED Turin, a fascinating vision of the Hispano Suiza Alfonso XIII was born in a futuristic key. The creative project is part of the events planned for the celebrations linked to the 120th anniversary of the birth of the Iberian brand, which will be celebrated in 2024. The original model, also known as T45, was commissioned by King Alfonso XIII (from which it took its name) and it was designed by Marc Birkigt and remained on sale from 1911 to 1914.
The sovereign, passionate about cars and the brand, wanted a sporty and agile model and the two-seater Hispano Suiza fully met his needs. It is considered the first sports car in history and was equipped with a 60 hp in-line four-cylinder engine, rear-wheel drive, and could reach a top speed of 120 km / h. The students of the Turin institute took up the challenge of exploring and designing the Alfonso XIII of the future, using the technology and possibilities of the present, with the essential addition of their unstoppable imagination. All this took place under the supervision of Francesc Arenas, design director of Hispano Suiza, who worked closely with the pupils involved, advising them, passing on his know-how and valuable experience to them.
“For us it is a pride to collaborate with the IED of Turin and to be able to offer the necessary tools to its students to give the green light to their imagination – said Arenas – Innovation and passion for design are fundamental elements of the past, of present and future of Hispano Suiza. For me and for the Hispano Suiza team, being able to advise, work and inspire these new talents has been a stimulating and extremely rewarding experience ”.
“The project implementation phases represent, for students, the moment in which to be free to express their creativity and the skills acquired during the technical, instrumental and theoretical lessons to the fullest – added Michele Albera, coordinator of the course in Transportation Design IED Turin – The collaboration with Hispano Suiza allowed the students to deal with the demands of a historic brand of excellence in the automotive sector and with the needs of an international market, bringing out their personality and passion “. In short, with this initiative Hispano Suiza has once again demonstrated its commitment to the growth of young talents, who, through disruptive ideas and projects, give shape to new concepts, as did Birkigt in the past, the Swiss engineer who in 1904 gave life at the brand together with Damián Mateu.