A French museum mystery with hints of Hispano

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We've been sent some rather interesting pictures of a car which was photographed outside a French museum in the late 1970s. That's all we're going to tell you, because that's all we know. If you can, we'd like you to tell us what it is, because we haven't the faintest idea.

The one thing that strikes us is just how similar it is to the famous Hispano-Suiza H6B Xenia from 1938, an experimental car designed by André Dubonnet and bodied by Saoutchik, albeit with more contemporary front end treatment. The Xenia barely ever saw the light of day before the Nazi occupation of France forced it to be concealed, but it resurfaced in the 1960s and was restored by a French enthusiast. It seems inconceivable to us that this car's creator was not attempting a tribute to the Xenia.

That still leaves us with lots of questions about its origins. What are the underpinnings from? A Panhard, perhaps? We're only taking a wild guess, but we would think it's probably a French car of some description. The streamlined, fully-enclosed bodywork is reminiscent of early 1950s sports cars such as we're being built by Cisitalia, Simca and many other manufacturers, but the headlights and grille are totally unfamiliar to us.

What about the builder? Could this have been a semi-professional effort, or do we take it to be the work of a skilled amateur enthusiast? The execution of the rear lights appears somewhat amateurish, but on the whole this would have been a very impressive achievement.

Lastly, of course, we have to wonder if the car still exists. Does anyone know what's become of it? Maybe one of you has even come across it. Please tell us all you can.

Words: Zack Stiling; photographs: Paul Wilson

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