1927 Voisin C14 Lumineuse Coach

Gabriel Voisin was born in 1880; he studied architecture, admired moving objects, and devoted himself to the nascent discipline of aviation. He built his first aircraft in 1902, and two years later, joined his brothers, Charles, to open a factory. In 1911, he began building an all-metal airplane, leading to the production of more than 10,000 airframes during World War I. They manufactured engines, licensed from Salmson and Hispano-Suiza to power their aircraft. After the war, the company was left without aircraft contracts, so they turned their attention to automobiles.

The first Voisin automobile was designed by former Panhard engineers. The engineers had tried unsuccessfully to sell the design to Andre Citroen. The design called for power from a Knight-type sleeve-valve engine, a type that Voisin made his own because of its attributes of silence and smooth torque. Later models would feature four-wheel brakes, three-point engine mounting, and advanced body engineering and design. For reasons that included emphasizing the mechanical quality of Voisin's engineering, the interior featured mechanical workings that were exposed rather than hidden behind wood or upholstery.

This particular example is a Model C14 Lumineuse. Lumineuse, or 'Light,' was given its name for its glassy greenhouse, with its angled windows, allowing sunshine to illuminate the interior. The Lumineuse style was favored by some of the most famous artists of its era, including Maurice Chevalier, Josephine Baker, and Paul Morand.

This car was first registered on June 17th of 1930. Ownership later passed to a new Parisian owner on August 8th of 1945. By 164, it had made its way to the Garage Weber, with which it was registered on April 22, 1964.

Andre Colas purchased the car around 1975. At the time it was reported to be in good condition, with the interior in original blue/grey fabric. A new engine had been installed, engine number 26758. By 1980, it had been acquired by Gino Terzulli, and soon passed to the Bec Hellouin Automobile Museum, owned by Christian Chassaing of Borredon, for whom its coachwork was restored by the facility of Lecoq.

The current owner acquired the car in 1991. Since then, the car has been reconditioned to make it a reliable road vehicle. The bodywork retains its original panels. The interior was redone more recently, in the red fabric of a Voisin-type pattern common to the fascinating Paul Poiret-inspired Art Deco materials originally used in these automobiles. It is believed that Paul Poiret designed the first Art Deco-colored fabrics specifically to be used in the Voisin Lumineuse vehicles. The exterior was finished in an all-black livery.

In 2000, the current owner was able to purchase the car's original engine, number 28152. It was subsequently rebuilt and is currently installed in the car.

Power is from a six-cylinder unit fitted with twin-choke Zenith carburetors and offers 66 horsepower. There is a three-speed manual transmission with a two-speed transfer box, along with four-wheel servo-assisted mechanical drum brakes.

This example has side baggage compartments that helped to center the mass of the car, and offer stability. Thanks to Gabriel Voisin's prior aeronautics experience, aerodynamics and the center of gravity were driving forces in the design of the vehicle.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2016