1938 Georges Irat 6CV

The French automobile company Automobiles Georges Irat SA at Chatou, Seine-et-Oise was founded by engine builder Georges Irat. The name 'Irat' first appeared in 1914, but car production did not commence until 1921. Through the end of the 1920s, the company produced approximately 200 cars annually, creating the entire vehicle sans body. Their first product was an overhead valve four-cylinder tourer with a displacement of 1,990cc and designed by Maurice Gaultier, formerly with Delage. These vehicles were marketed as 'La Voiture de l'Elite', and their mechanical specification was fairly conventional, albeit with four-wheel servo-assisted brakes by Dewandre.

Georges Irat built these vehicles at their Majola factory at St Denis. A 3.0-liter six-cylinder model based on their existing four was introduced in 1928, the same year that Gaultier returned to Delage.

The popularity and availability of large, American-built engines were utilized by various French manufacturers during the late 1920s and early 1930s, including Irat, who began building automobiles around Lycoming straight-eights at a new factory. Due to the poor market conditions of the era, disappointing sales of its eight-cylinder models and the light car brought Georges Irat to the brink of financial collapse. The company was saved by engine maker Godefroy et Léveque, who had been seeking an outlet for its 'Ruby' powerplants. The new entity took on the name of 'Etablissements Irat Godefroy and Lévêque.' In 1934, they moved to Godefroy et Levecque's works in Levallois where they built two front-wheel-drive sporting roadsters, one with a 1,100 cc Ruby and the other with a six-cylinder 2,450 cc Lycoming engine.

The new models were displayed in 1935 at the motor show in Pairs and available as a roadster or convertibles. The lightweight sports car had four independent wheels, which offered excellent road mannerisms and comfort. The larger, 2,450cc model was not as popular as the 1,100cc unit, which soon became the firm's most successful endeavor to date. Known as the 6CV roadster, its 1,100cc Ruby engine offered 37 horsepower and was paired to a three-speed manual transmission which drove the front wheels. The engine and gearbox were rotated 180 degrees from standard to accommodate driving the front wheels. The sporty appearance was not reciprocated in performance, but for buyers who were not impressed, the larger six-cylinder 2,450cc option was available. Early examples wore cycle fenders, while larger versions had full fenders. In 1938, the grille was redesigned to become more aerodynamic.

Approximately 1,500 examples of the 6CV were built between 1935 and 1939 before being replaced by a model equipped with a Citroen 11CV 1.9-liter engine and hydraulic brakes. After World War II, Georges Irat abandoned sports car production and began experimenting with an off-road vehicle called the VDB. Unsuccessful in this venture, the company went out of business in 1953.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2023