Avions Voisin C14 1932 - World Of Classic Cars -

Avions Voisin C14 1932

Gabriel Voisin (1880–1973) is rightly celebrated as a major figure in the history of both the aeroplane and the automobile. A stylish and clever man, not short of confidence, he was a fearless aviator. With his brother Charles he opened one of the world’s first aeroplane factories and produced aircraft to his own designs, which he sold to private customers.
At the end of World War I he left the world of aviation, partly due to the use of the aeroplane for military purposes, and instead turned his attention to motor car manufacture. From his Issy-les-Moulineaux factory in the Paris suburbs, Avions Voisin produced a series of fine cars during the inter-war years. Mostly remembered for the exotic streamlined saloons of the 1930s, Voisin’s earlier creations also radiate the style and originality that helped to make the marque so renowned. From the beginning Voisin used Knight-type double sleeve valve engines, allied to his central themes of lightness, good weight distribution, and individualistic coachwork.

Avions Voisin C14 1932

Amongst the variety of models he produced during the 1920s, the C11 was the first six-cylinder car put into production by Voisin. Launched in 1926, the model featured full pressure lubrication, a pressed steel chassis, four-wheel brakes, automatic lubrication of universal joints, and the option of a six-speed transmission, achieved through the fitment of a two-speed rear axle. An additional feature, of course, was the famous Voisin coachwork, and the C11 was the first Voisin model to wear an all-aluminium body. With a chassis weight of 900kg, and with the double sleeve valve engine producing 54bhp at 3,000rpm, the overall lightness of the C11 harkened back to the firm’s aeronautical origins.

Avions Voisin C14 1932

Produced from July 1928 until 1933, the C14 was Voisin’s most successful model. A development of the earlier C11, the C14 benefited from a revision at the Department of Mines which reduced the fiscal power from 14CV to 13CV. This meant the price (about £800 in England) could be reduced from the levels of the C11 and helped to ensure its popularity in the marketplace.
Chassis number 28677, the C14 presented here, was discovered in a barn in Switzerland in 1968. After its acquisition by Chicago collector Art Liebermann, it was given a full restoration by Panelcraft of London during 1969–70. This included the delicate reconstruction of the wickerwork body, which is believed to be unique, from the dilapidated original. The standard of that restoration can be judged by the fact that the Classic Car Club of America awarded the car a score of 90 points. Later the car was featured in Automobile Quarterly, volume 13, number 4.