Comments from a review of this book by Pete Vack on the Velocetoday website https://www.velocetoday.com/hispano-suiza-and-pegaso-reviewed/
“David Beare introduced himself with the publication of ‘Panhard- the flat-twin cars 1945-1967 and their origins’ in 2013, which we thoroughly enjoyed. His books, then and now, are enthusiasts publications; soft-back, low price, chock full of technical information and historical [background]. Our kind of book, a truly delightful book written by an enthusiast for enthusiasts. We devoured it.”
“This is brilliant and something I have been looking forward to for many decades. Pegaso is one of the saddest unsung heroes stories of that era. There is very little on it but putting the history of Spain into the story is genius. Can’t wait to read it.” A comment by Nicholas from the web-page.
Read Nick Georgano’s Preface to this book here: A-Introduction v6.docx
Hispano-Suiza and Pegaso, Birkigt & Ricart, volume 1.
Two brilliant engineers and the two marques they established in Spain. This is the first volume of two, it covers Hispano-Suiza from 1904 to 1939 primarily from the perspective of Barcelona rather than Bois-Colombes in France. I have used mainly Spanish-language sources and have written about Hispano-Suiza cars, aero-engines, military vehicles, trucks and buses, the satellite Guadalajara factory and its products, racing cars and competition successes. The evolution of the French Bois-Colombes business and its glorious H6 and V12 models is also studied.
The second volume, Pegaso and Ricart- from Hispano-Suiza to Pegaso; trucks, buses and sportscars, traces the history and development of the fabulous Pegaso sports-cars of 1951-1957. These were designed by Wifredo Ricart and a number of Italian ex-Alfa Romeo engineers who had accompanied Ricart when he left Italy in the chaotic aftermath of WWII. Spanish sources are again used for the real inside story.
The background to Pegaso sportscars is utterly fascinating; this book looks at the influences brought to Pegaso, firstly by Marc Birkigt and the long-established Hispano-Suiza factory in Barcelona, the pre-WWII career of Ricart with his own designs, then with Alfa-Romeo developing racing cars and aero-engines, his relationship with Enzo Ferrari and the endless economic, social, commercial and political problems in Spain he had to overcome. This book is the first to be published in English on Pegaso cars and is long overdue.