1924 Voisin C4S

Gabriel Voisin was a pioneering engineer in the burgeoning aviation industry, and when the market dried up for his aircraft manufacturing business in Issy les Moulineaux after the Great War, the resources were diverted to motor car manufacturing. Avions Voisin produced luxury automobiles from 1919 through 1939 and soon became the preferred car of royals and the wealthy, including the Sultan of Morocco, the Prince of Siam, the French President Alexandre Millerand, and the President of Argentina. Like many luxury marques of the era, it struggled during the Great Depression. After World War II ended, the business was nationalized in the political turmoil, the Government installed directors, and the business was integrated into that of its principal creditor, engine supplier Gnome & Rhône which was in turn nationalized in 1945.

The Avions Voisin
The company's first model was the C1, equipped with a four-cylinder engine of Knight design, with a cast iron block, aluminum sump, and sleeve valves that offered near-silent operation. Voisin automobiles benefitted from the extensive use of light alloy materials, especially aluminum, and many of the body designs were charmingly eccentric, in styles that harmonized aerodynamic curves with Cubist flair.

Voisin automobiles remained faithful to the sleeve-valve engine, favored for its silent operation and smooth torque. Subsequent models received an advanced three-point engine mounting and four-wheel brakes.

The Voisin C4S
Voisin introduced the C4 model at the Paris Motor Show in 1921, equipped with a 1,243cc engine. The C4S was an evolution of the company's C4 model, introduced in 1924 and fitted with a larger 1,328cc engine and brakes on the front wheel. Equipped with a Zenith sidedraft carburetor, the sleeve-valve four-cylinder engine produced 33 horsepower. It was paired to a three-speed manual gearbox, with the suspension using semi-elliptic leaf springs and a live axle at the rear.

Production of the Voisin C4S continued through 1925.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2024