Swiss Hillclimb
- Thread starter bmetcalf
- Start date
Hispano-Suiza (literally: "Spanish-Swiss") was a Spanish automotive and engineering firm, best known for its luxury cars and aviation engines pre-World War II. In 1923 its French subsidiary became a semi-autonomous partnership with the parent company. In 1968, the French arm was taken over by the aerospace company Snecma, now a part of the French SAFRAN Group.[1] The Spanish parent sold all its automotive assets to Enasa in 1946.
In 1898 a Spanish artillery captain, Emilio de la Cuadra, started electric automobile production in Barcelona under the name of La Cuadra. In Paris, De la Cuadra met the Swiss engineer Marc Birkigt (1878–1953) and hired him to work for the company in Spain. La Cuadra built their first gasoline-powered engines from a Birkigt design. At some point in 1902, the ownership changed hands to J. Castro and became Fábrica Hispano-Suiza de Automóviles (Spanish-Swiss Automobile Factory) but this company went bankrupt in December 1903.
No points. It's Spanish not Swiss. Besides, Spain hasn't been exactly the most tranquil place on earth in the last 200+ years.
Watches are just tiny clocks without birds in them. I'm sure if they could figure away to miniaturize the bird one would be popping out of the face of a watch somewhere.
Oerlikon-- An auto cannon of German design Because the Treaty of Versailles banned further production of such weapons in Germany, the patents and design works were transferred in 1919 to the Swiss firm SEMAG (Seebach Maschinenbau Aktien Gesellschaft) based near Zürich. I'll give you half a point on this.
Motosacoche--was founded in 1899, by Henri and Armand Dufaux, in Geneva, Switzerland. Motosacoche was once the biggest Swiss motorcycle manufacturer, known also for its MAG (Motosacoche Acacias Genève) proprietary-engines used by other European motorcycle manufacturers. Okay, I'll give you the point for this one.
So one and a half point. But they will forever be in the hole though because they're never going to live down the cuckoo clock and they banned racing.
As an aside this is all in jest and I hope no one takes offense. I actually admire and respect the Swiss for how they handle national service and firearms.
Steven
Well they really used their imagination designing that didn't they !! just looked out the window and said that'll do.
Chris.
Chris.
They make splendid bridges. But Toblerone is rubbish chocolate. Sweet, milky and low cacao content. Ugh!
Watches are just tiny clocks without birds in them. I'm sure if they could figure away to miniaturize the bird one would be popping out of the face of a watch somewhere.
I actually admire and respect the Swiss for how they handle national service and firearms.
Steven
I really like the image, a watch with tiny cuckoo popping out of the face....
I heard a story of someone walking in the Alps, and came up to a mountain house with lots of men on military exercises on a rest break. There was a line of machine guns resting against the wall of the mountain house, and no-one was paying any attention to them. He asked someone who seemed in charge if they were worried that someone might take one of them. The officer was incredulous - "Why would anyone want TWO?"
