The SPAD S.XX emerged during a pivotal transition for the Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés. Following the end of World War I, the French Army Air Service, under the direction of General Duval in May 1918, advocated for a shift in combat aviation priorities, suggesting that future fleets should consist of two-thirds multi-seat aircraft and only one-third single-seat fighters. This strategic shift pushed SPAD to move beyond the famous fighter designs of Louis Béchereau and toward multi-role and civil concepts.
The S.XX is primarily documented as a design project or base model rather than a mass-produced aircraft type. It was developed under the guidance of designer André Herbemont, who was responsible for the company's post-war "berlines" (cabin aircraft) and touring machines. The significance of the S.XX lies in its role as the progenitor for subsequent models; specifically, the SPAD 27, a three-seat touring aircraft featuring an enclosed cabin for two passengers, was explicitly derived from the "modèle XX." The SPAD 27, designed by Herbemont in early 1919, conducted its first flight in November 1919.
Manufacturing of SPAD aircraft during this era took place at facilities in Suresnes (Hauts-de-Seine), following the company's reorganization from the original Société de Production des Aéroplanes Deperdussin, which had been based near Reims at Bétheny. The corporate landscape shifted further in 1921 when Louis Blériot merged his company with SPAD to form Blériot-SPAD. While the merged entity produced later military aircraft such as the Blériot-SPAD S.81—a fighter powered by a 300 hp Hispano-Suiza HS-8Fb engine—the S.XX itself remained a foundational design study rather than a frontline combatant. Due to its nature as a developmental base for Herbemont's civil derivatives, there are no documented production totals, specific engine specifications, or operational service records for the S.XX as a standalone production model.