The Nostalgia of Forgotten Gods. Avions Voisin (cars), France, 1919-1939

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.

The C6 Laboratoire developed to compete in the 1923 French Grand Prix.

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.

The innovative style and design of Voisin attracted many famous clients such as Rudolph Valentino and Le Corbusier. Here in the photo is the 1934 C27 Aerosport.

Voisin’s automobiles were aimed at an upscale, innovation-oriented clientele who often came with famous names such as Josephine Baker, Rodolfo Valentino, and the architect Le Corbusier. The brand's ingredients were rationality, thanks to the perfect distribution of weight and lightness, derived from the experience of using aluminum as well as attention to detail, such as the choice and sophistication of fabrics for the interiors. The Voisin saga lasted twenty years. In 1939, the start of World War II marked the end for Avions Voisin, which suspended production and later came under state control but would no longer produce automobiles.

Voisin presents the C28 Aerosport at the 1935 Paris Motor Show. The stylistic and technical solutions, such as the sliding roof, are particularly advanced for the period.