Avions Voisin C1 Coupé-Chauffeur Binder Circa 1922

Chassis n° 765 Engine n°747 Type M1 Series n°767 French registration Bodywork by Binder Family affair This is another car whose history is worth telling. Without the invention of the "CB radio", our Avions Voisin might still be sitting in a barn. The year was 1977 and Mr F. had just left the army. Like many others at the time, he uses a CB to communicate with other road users. This was the beginning of a long adventure... The only departure from the original, the chocolate interior (a sample has been preserved) is transformed into burgundy red. The original Avions Voisin toolbox is complete and present. The Binder bodywork is full of nice details. The (functional) dictograph for communication between driver and passengers is one of many. In addition to the Binder plate on the sides of the car, some elements like this headlight are signed by the Parisian coachbuilder. During this first CB conversation, Mr F.'s interlocutor mentions an old family car, which has belonged to the family for three generations. A friendship begins between the two CB partners, and Mr F, who is immersed in the world of classic cars, keeps this mysterious car in a corner of his mind. In 1987, our two interlocutors have kept in touch and Mr F is invited to the Landes, where the mysterious car is located. When the doors of the barn open, it is a shock... After ten years of waiting, the Avion Voisin C1 bodied by Binder is finally approached and the wait is rewarded. The car is complete, frozen in the 20's, the annotated service booklet is even present. Mr. F. immediately fell in love with it, but unfortunately the family did not want to part with it. It was a tradition at Avions Voisin to change the engine when a car came in for maintenance. Our example was no exception to the rule. For the anecdote, it seems that the women were keen to take care of the maintenance of the Avions Voisin, the charm of Gabriel Voisin being special. Mr. F. will have to wait, and it is only at the beginning of the year 2000 that he will finally be able to acquire the car from the Gauthier De Lahaut family. This was followed by four years of high-quality restoration with the aim of keeping all the original elements. The car was completely dismantled and every bolt was refurbished. A titanic task that today allows the car to be perfectly functional while retaining almost all of its original parts. Hats off to the artist! It was thanks to the war that Gabriel Voisin built his empire. With the sale of numerous bombers during the First World War, he diversified his activities from 1919 onwards and began to build cars. The C1 was the first model of his "conception", largely helped by the purchase from André Citroën of the rights to build a high-powered luxury model. Around 1200 of the C1 were produced between 1919 and 1924, of which very few have survived to the present day. For the record, the prefix "C" is said to refer to his dear brother Charles, who had died a few years earlier. The "Knight" engine, a 4-cylinder, 3969 cm3 (18HP), valveless engine developing 78 horsepower, which will equip the C1s, needs no introduction. Binder Coupe-Chauffeur circa 1922 It was for its time and still is today particularly discreet and very torquey. One of Gabriel Voisin's strokes of genius was to equip his cars with front brakes. Not at all the norm in 1919, he validated this idea by noticing that the car equipped only with a rear brake, at equal speed, braked much better in reverse than in forward gear! The Avions Voisin were soon associated with a notion of quality and design, but also with the great and good of the world, a demanding and refined clientele. The C1, in particular, was used by the Royal Court of Yugoslavia and the French Republic. Our example, bodied by Binder, is very similar to those used by the French Republic. The aluminium dashboard, contains all the instruments specific to the Avions Voisin. Information provided by the Gauthier de Lahaut family indicates that the car was stored shortly before the war. The rev counter at that time showed approximately 29,000 km. It is also known that the nickname "Zoé" was affectionately given to it by the oldest member of the family, who remembered rides in the car when she was a child. Finally, the memories of the registration 5053-GA5 (circa 1928) are a lead for the next owner. Only the two wooden panels on the passage side had to be replaced. The trunk support is original, but the trunk is missing and has been replaced by a period trunk. The Binder coachbuilder's plate. It is known that the first C1s sold by Avions Voisin were not bodied by the factory. Quite simply, because it did not yet have the skills During the dismantling of the car, Mr. F discovered on the body the testimony of the coutil cloth installer, indicating the date of installation: 30 June 1922. The famous Avions Voisin logo which refers to Gabriel Voisin's fascination for ancient Egypt. This is an exceptional opportunity to acquire a unique car, 95% original and with a history that is not open to debate. Rare are the pre-war cars that can boast so many assets. This Avions Voisin will be a must have in your collection. In view of its rarity, it is a beast to be competed with, in Europe as well as in the USA.