1935 Avions Voisin C25 Aérodyne
Aviation pioneer Gabriel Voisin applied decades of aircraft engineering to create one of the most radical automobiles of the 1930s. Between 1934 and 1935, eight Aérodyne bodies were constructed on the C25 chassis, with four examples known to survive today.
The sleek fastback design incorporated flat sides, porthole windows in a pneumatically retractable hardtop roof, and wraparound fenders that referenced aircraft fuselage construction.
Two-tone paint schemes and skirted rear fenders created a profile unlike any contemporary automobile. The retractable roof slid back over the rear deck, transforming the four-seat interior from closed coupe to open touring car.
A 2,994 cc (183 cubic inch) Knight sleeve-valve inline-six produced 90 horsepower at 3,500 rpm through two Zenith-Stromberg carburetors. The 2-speed gearbox featured electromagnetic overdrive, creating four effective forward speeds.
Four-wheel Dewandre vacuum-assisted drum brakes and live-axle suspension with semi-elliptical leaf springs provided chassis dynamics and stopping power that were advanced for 1935.
Priced at 88,000 French francs (roughly $5,500), the Aérodyne was firmly in Rolls-Royce territory, which helped ensure its extreme rarity among French luxury automobiles.
With a price of 88,000 French francs (roughly $5,500) when new, comparable to a Rolls-Royce in the mid-1930s, the Aérodyne’s cost was a major factor in its extreme rarity among French luxury automobiles.
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