Exhibited on the Grand Boulevard “Catwalk” at L.A.’s Classic Auto Show, the Xenia received the top honor during the March 2-4 event
Los Angeles (March 7, 2018) – The Mullin Automotive Museum’s 1938 Hispano-Suiza H6B Dubonnet Xenia won the Classic Auto Show “Award of Excellence – Grand Boulevard” during the March 2-4 event in downtown Los Angeles. The annual show at the L.A. Convention Center presents more than 1,000 vintage cars from private collections and Southern California car clubs.
Each year, the event’s popular Grand Boulevard display features some of the most exceptional cars in automotive history. Running through the heart of the show and highlighting more than 50 rare cars spanning the past 100 years, the Grand Boulevard offers a historical timeline of the progression of the automobile. This year’s standout was the Xenia with its striking design elements and aerodynamic body styling.
“I’m so pleased that the Xenia has been distinguished amongst other exceptional vehicles at this year’s Classic Auto Show,” said Peter Mullin, founder and CEO of the Mullin Automotive Museum. “The car’s extravagant streamlining and futuristic design elements make it a showstopper in any room, and I’m continuously grateful to be able to share its extreme beauty at events around the globe.”
Produced in an era of tall and boxy coaches, the Xenia’s distinct features reflect the pre-war era’s fascination with industrial machinery and aviation. The doors are fastened by a centrally mounted handle, allowing them to effortlessly slide open and backward, parallel to the body. Mimicking the feeling of a plane floating on air, the smooth handling is due to a coil-spring hyperflex suspension system that was later adopted by Cadillac, Oldsmobile, and Buick.
This particular Xenia belonged to Andre Dubonnet himself, who hid the car during World War II. In the 1960s, the car was purchased and restored by the president of the French Hispano-Suiza Club Alain Balleret, who later auctioned it off to American Charles Morse. Peter Mullin eventually purchased the vehicle in 2003, and it is today maintained under the meticulous care of the Peter Mullin Automotive Museum Foundation.
This honor marks the eighth distinction for the Xenia, which has previously won “Best in Show” titles at Goodwood Festival of Speed, Rodeo Concours d’Elegance, and Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. For more information about this car or the Mullin Automotive Museum, please visitwww.MullinAutomotiveMuseum.com.
ABOUT THE MULLIN AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM
The Mullin Automotive Museum is located at 1421 Emerson Avenue, Oxnard, CA 93033, in the building formerly occupied by the Otis Chandler Vintage Museum of Transportation and Wildlife. The museum is typically open to the public on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month from 10 AM to 3 PM. Tickets must be purchased in advance at www.MullinAutomotiveMuseum.com. Semi-Private tours are offered on Tuesdays at 10 AM and Thursdays at 11 AM for $40 per person. Other weekdays may be available by appointment. Reservations are required. For information on semi-private tours or on Mullin 1000 Club membership benefits, please call 805.385.5400. To see photos of the exhibits and the cars on display, please follow the Mullin Automotive Museum’s official Instagram page.
