c.1927 – Avions Voisin C11 | Autoworld 2026 | Auction & Motion | 10th Oct 2026

• Chassis No. 25399
• Original French vehicle registration document
• Vehicle sold without a roadworthiness test

“An incredible find from the barn – engine already overhauled – just needs bringing back to life!”

Gabriel Voisin and his creations – both aeronautical and automotive – need no introduction, having become synonymous with the height of luxury at the height of the Roaring Twenties. His unique style created the legend, and cars that remain to this day amongst the finest produced between the end of the Great War and the mid-1930s.

Following the C1, which laid the foundations and had already established the brand’s reputation on four wheels, the C3, unveiled in 1921, was a more refined model, though still powered by the 4-cylinder, 4-litre valveless engine (Knight patent). It was this model that allowed Gabriel Voisin to give free rein to his artistry, deeply rooted in the Art Deco movement, with inimitable factory-built bodies. The C11 14 CV, which appeared in 1926, marked a major first for the brand, as it was the first production model to feature a 6-cylinder engine; the engine designed for the 1923 Tours Grand Prix had never been followed up with a production model.

The 2,326 cm³ Knight-type 6-cylinder valveless engine is mated to a 3-speed gearbox, whilst braking on all four wheels is provided by a Dewandre-type servo. Beyond its technical specifications, the C11 epitomises Voisin’s design philosophy: it showcases the brand’s creative ingenuity, with lightweight bodywork, opening windscreens and distinctive rear lighting systems. These details are the hallmark of Voisin and are sure to delight enthusiasts. The C11, Voisin’s best-selling model, and its variants, remained in production until 1936.

A rare survivor of the make that created the most original cars of its time, this C11, chassis no. 25399 – which likely dates from 1927 – remained unsold in the factory’s stock until 1929, before being fitted with a two-door, four-seater body around 1931. Mr Bredeka, a mechanic at Saliot, a Parisian workshop that was one of the main Voisin service and maintenance centres (and which produced a number of extravagant bodywork designs) until… 1962, transformed the bodywork into the form we recognise today, probably in the early 1950s.

The car was acquired for a song by Alain Balleret, the iconic founding president of the Hispano-Suiza club, whose experimental department he headed before the war. It resurfaced in the 1990s and was acquired in 2002 by the current owner, who commissioned Jean-Pierre Bécret, the make’s mechanical specialist, to rebuild the engine. A fascinating restoration project, complete with all its original parts, this Voisin – with its captivating history and distinctive bodywork – is sure to appeal to any enthusiast in search of a real rarity…