1925 Gerin Aerodyne

Designed by the young Jacques Gerin, the Aerodyne is a prototype mid-engine saloon car that marked a significant departure from other vehicles of its day. Long, low and narrow its organic contours are determined by a space frame of super elliptical duralumin hoops and ribs mated up to a structural Alpax floor. The front wheels and suspension are fully enclosed units. The headlights of the car followed the front wheels, always positioning themselves on the road ahead. The complete engine and associated assemblies are designed to be removed quickly and easily, which would have made for unfathomably simple maintenance, repairs, and engine swaps. Gerin was a big player in the aeronautical industry which explains why it has much in common with aircraft designs of the time. Its armature framework would have been wrapped in either fabric or aviation paper materials. The curvilinear design speaks to the aeronautical advancements made by Gerin.