Events & Tours
The Nostalgia of Forgotten Gods. Avions Voisin (cars), France, 1919-1939
In 1906, the Voisin brothers founded Avions Voisin, pioneering aluminium aircraft during WWI. Shifting to automobiles post-war, they introduced innovative designs like the C6 Laboratoire, attracting famous clientele.
In 1906, the brothers Gabriel and Charles Voisin created Avions Voisin, which dealt with the production and sale of fighter planes during World War I in Issy-les-Moulineaux on the outskirts of Paris. Their planes were highly innovative for the time, being built entirely of aluminum, allowing the Voisin brothers to gain experience with lightweight alloys.
After the conflict ended in 1919, the company shifted its focus towards automobiles, a market with great prospects. Utilizing their aviation knowledge and employing the notable designer André Lefèbvre who would later design the Traction Avant, the 2CV, and the DS, they introduced their first automobile named the C1 – Limousine. It was in 1923, however, that one of the company's most astonishing projects took shape, the C6 Laboratoire with a monocoque chassis, something absolutely innovative. The car's goal was to race in the French Grand Prix at Tours and challenge Ettore Bugatti's Tipo 32 Tank, a recognized celebrity in the sports world. Ironically, neither won as their excessive pursuit of aerodynamics ended up making the cars as fast in a straight line as they were difficult to maneuver in curves.
