AVIONS VOISIN / FRANCE

 AVIONS VOISINS (Societé des aéroplanes G. Voisin,   1919- 1939)

Gabriel Voisin was born in 1890 and earned his first merits in the emerging aeronautical manufacturing already in 1905. During the First World War he very successfully designed his own aircraft and sold them to the French Army. After the First World War, he turned to civilian production and designed and produced automobiles, using his knowledge from aircraft production. In particular, it was extremely important to him to save as much as possible on vehicle weight, that´s  why he used a lot of aluminum.

Even the company's first vehicle, the VOISIN 18CV, a racing car, had the famous Egyptian-looking emblem on top of the radiator.

This emblem was used on every vehicle until the beginning of the Second World War.

 

Size	14.0 cm x 6.0cm
Year	1920 - 1939
Estimate

 

Gabriel Voisin was strongly influenced by the sensational excavations and finds in Egypt, which fascinated the whole world at that time. He chose the Egyptian lucky beetle, the scarab, as his emblem. This had already been provided with wings at the time of the pharaohs as the following picture shows:

 

detail of the necklace of Tutankhamun compared with the Voisin emblem.

 

 In the 1980s, the emblem was reproduced by the French company ""La Boutique de l`Automobiliste" using the original tools. However, the difference becomes apparent on the back. The repro has a mounting pin in the middle of the emblem, while the original was soldered on the left and right outside.

 

on top: repro                   down: original

 

 

 

original:  no mounting pin, but old solder on the wings

the vehicles were so stylish that they were even featured on the cover of the fashion magazine VOGUE in 1925.

Gabriel Vosin was an eccentric person. The highlight was in 1931 when he even offered a 12-cylinder:

A rectangular emblem was never seen on a car, but there are rectangular brooches on the market

Voisin also sold cars to England as evidenced by this ad, which indicates its origins as an aircraft manufacturer in the picture and proudly displays the emblem.

Size	16.5 cm x 3.4 cm
Year	c. 1925
Estimate

On the case on the running board you find the emblem shown above

 (photo collection Stefan Ittner)

Most vehicles also had a radiator mascot; this was made of aluminum and represents a "cocotte".

     The word "cocotte" means chicken or slang for harlot. It is said that the mascots were made from                         aluminium scraps.

A highlight of any automobilia collection, an original enameled dealer ship sign showing the emblem and an early Avions Voisin vehicle

On the left side of the photo you can see hanging on the wall of the  sign. Photo collection Stefan Ittner ).

After the Second World War, G. Voisin designed a small car that had nothing  to do with his representative pre-war vehicles, the new "Biscuter". Approximately 5,000 of these vehicles were produced and sold in Spain from 1951 to 1958.

For more emblems see older posts or top right ( list of car makers ).

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