This is the first time I’ve ever been to anything like this. I mean, I’ve been to the odd local car show or museum, but this one was more on a par with Pebble Beach or the Villa d’Este. There were some seriously rare and gorgeous automobiles at this event, which I will try to condense in a pair of photo-heavy posts of pure car porn.
I was back in Europe for a quick business trip recently and managed to meet up with the old family. We all live in different countries, so this happens pretty rarely. However, I turned 40 this year and my sister is hitting 50, so that was the occasion, for the first time in many years, spend a weekend together – just us four (ex-)kids with our parents. My younger brother, who lives in Geneva, spotted an advert for a classic car show and got us tickets. The birthday boy was pleased.
It turned out to be even swankier than I imagined. In its fourth edition, the event was taking place on the grounds of the Château de Coppet, situated along lake Geneva. Some marques were especially celebrated this year, including Bentley and Citroën, which were both turning 100 years old. There were more Bentleys on these lawns than any other marque. This gargantuan 8-litre coupé were just jaw-dropping.
There were also some very nice late ’30s Derby Bentleys, but the sheer magnetism of the 8-Litre was irresistible. So here’s another one, complete with superb interior, of course.
Citroëns were less prominent and more recent, but a couple of interesting Tractions were present, including this rare 1935 two-door faux-cabriolet, with right-hand drive. I don’t know its story, but it looks like a French-built car – they could be ordered with RHD in most countries before the war. Those door cards look rather fishy…
It’s post-war but I’ll park it here anyway: an extremely attractive 1949 convertible made in Switzerland by Worblaufen on a 15-Six platform – one of a handful. Finding an exotic custom-made Traction like this would have been the pinnacle of my day normally, but in this case I barely took the time to notice it. For there were so many great-looking neighbours to gawk at.
There were a number of Bugattis, as they were also celebrating the marque’s 110th anniversary. I’ll limit myself to just three. This adorable 1920 Type 22 Brescia was the oldest of the lot. Originally launched in 1913, the Brescia’s 1.6 litre straight-4 featured, for the first time on a production car, four valves per cylinder. Front brakes weren’t on the options list, though.
Flawlessly executed 1932 coupé, designed by Jean Bugatti and bodied in Molsheim on a Type 49 chassis. This car’s 3.3 litre straight-8 features a single overhead camshaft, but was now limited to three valves per cylinder.
Finally, the Type 57 – the zenith of the marque, but also its greatest hit. For 1938, the straight-8 chassis received hydraulic brakes. This particular 57 also packs a Roots supercharger, for a whopping 160 hp and features a one-off body by Alsatian coachbuilder Gangloff. Perhaps not the most graceful of all Bugatti 57s, but I still wouldn’t chuck it out of my garage.
There was a sizable contingent of Delahayes as well, the occasion was the marque’s 125th anniversary. With the exception of a large 1912 tourer, all were Type 135s from the marque’s heyday – the ‘30s and ‘40s.
This strangely coloured cabriolet was bodied (and probably painted) in Bern, capital of the Swiss Confederation. The other three 135s present were all made by Henri Chapron, one of Delahaye’s most favoured carrossiers, right until the marque disappeared in 1954.
This coupé, though drop-dead gorgeous, was not all there: the engine was missing! Makes for a very nice sculpture, all the same. And it saves fuel.
But the best-looking Delahaye 135 was this black and red four-light coupé. It looked ready to be driven down to the Riviera at a moment’s notice, its big 6-cyl. roaring through the Alps.
Two Mercedes-Benzes were especially noteworthy. The oldest was absolutely massive two-tone green 630K, powered by an equally substantial supercharged 6.2 litre OHC straight-6. The model was initially designed by Mercedes Technical Director Paul Daimler, but he left the firm abruptly in 1922, leaving the 630 to be finalized by none other than Ferdinand Porsche, who arrived from Austro-Daimler in early 1923 and stayed on with Mercedes for six years. This is also one of the first true M-Bs, Daimler and Benz having joined forced in 1926.
This 1938 Mercedes-Benz 320 (W142) Cabriolet B has either a 3.2 or a 3.4 litre 6-cyl. engine. These were produced from 1937 to 1942 in a bewildering array of body variants, all made in Sindelfingen. There were, for instance, four factory W142 drop-tops: the two-seater Cabriolet A on a short chassis; the two-door four-seater Cabriolet B and the four-door Cabriolet D used the saloon’s chassis. Finally, the Cabriolet F (or Pullman-cabriolet) was a massive LWB seven-seater.
There’s nothing like a Voisin. Every chassis and factory body was designed by aviation pioneer and all-round mad genius Gabriel Voisin, in his own inimitable style. Until the late ‘30s, Voisins always featured sleeve-valve Knight engines – in this case, a 3-litre straight-6. The C23, launched in 1931 while Voisin were briefly owned by Impéria, was usually sold with this factory saloon body. The C23 chassis was made in 335 units until 1934 – a pretty respectable score for this marque.
I love that Gabriel Voisin designed this outrageous mascotte almost out of spite. In the early ’20s, his clients kept pestering him for one – something distinctive, like Rolls-Royce’s Spirit of Exctasy. Voisin thought the idea utterly preposterous and thus tried to design the most ridiculous shape he could think of. He also named it “La Cocotte.” It soon became a distinctive part of the cars’ character and stayed on the radiator until Voisin’s luxury car production ended in 1939.
There weren’t many American cars at this event, unfortunately. In the pre-war category, the only Detroit representative was this dignified V12 Packard. The Packards of 1934-36 are the best-looking of the decade by a mile – slightly streamlined, but still a pure classic.
The Packard V12 was a 7.3-litre giant with side-valves, which grew to 7.8 litres a year later. I couldn’t find a coachbuilder’s plate on this one – Le Baron, Rollston, or factory body? Here’s hoping somebody might know…
An ocean away from Packard, William Lyons was busy transforming his plucky Swallow Sidecars concern into the SS marque – now signifying Swallow Standard, as all of the car’s oily bits were sourced from Standard Cars of Coventry. Available as a four-door, convertible and this streamlined two-door saloon, the 1935 SS 2.5 litre can arguably be presented as the first Jaguar, though it was only officially called that a few years later.
And finally, the car we started off with – and one of the most impressive of this blue-blooded bunch: the glorious Hispano-Suiza. These were made in France by a Spanish company run by Geneva-born engineer Marc Birkigt. They were direct competitors with the likes of Duesenberg, Maybach and Rolls-Royce. The 5.2 litre K6 was launched in 1934, replacing the legendary H6 as the “small” 6-cyl. Hispano. The senior J12 chassis, by comparison, had a 9.5 litre V12.
The Hispano-Suiza marque’s convoluted history was cut short when the French branch quit making luxury cars in late 1937 to focus on aero engines. This particular car has been the subject of several articles and web pages (including Sotheby’s, where it was sold in 2013 for a mere US$2,255,000).
That’s it for the time being. I hope you enjoyed reviewing these ancient glories; the post-war stuff will be just as exclusive – and even more eclectic.
Related posts:
Automotive History: The Citroën 15-Six – Traction Royalty Genealogy 101, by T87
Car Show Classic: Surprise Airshow Unicorn…by Packard, by MarcKyle64
Events like this are truly a Lewis Carroll experience. Through the looking-glass we go.
Was this really ever reality? Ofcourse, in one sense, no, it wasn’t. It was reality only in the tiny world of those who owned everyone else. Even new, many of these fantabulosities were ornaments. They were concours competitors, peacock displays of wealth and taste, or its lapse. (The Swiss are known for their rectitude: quite why one would have chosen futuristic Baby Poop Yellow paint from a 1973 Datsun B210 for their Delahaye is monument to the latter point).
Yet these were and are actual real things. They are real expressions of a certain art and its state as it was then. It is tempting to think that then must have been a time to be alive, in the midst of this glorious flowering, especially compared to the visual drear we seem now to be enduring with cars. But that is not real either. Depression-era Europe would not be somewhere great at all, especially given my statistical chances of being amongst any elite. And anyway, a nasty cut to my finger could easily kill me before penicillin, and so much else besides.
A brief visit today (through a screen glass on my lap that would be equally amazing to those alive then) is reality, and also a daydream too. An indulgence from our Dr T87, for which I thank him.
I’m gladdened to hear that Voison made a semi-absurdist hood ornament, because I have long thought that there MUST be a very sly humour in the outrageousness of his design madness. That factory – factory! – C23 is partly an arts decoratifs apartment duplex (complete with balcony corner railings at back), part Fred Astaire movie set, part threatening gun-placement, part automobile and a tiny part comical. If it were not for that Hispano, it’s my car of your day.
That Hispano-Suiza! The double-banger name itself, suggestive of important trans-European royalty, that needs the swishest of cars to attach to, and this one does not fall short. The engineering beneath is known to be the best. Why, even The Best from Crewe had to use the brake system from Hispano, and has yet to fit any overhead camshaft to this very day. That that K6 is an absurd and over-dimensioned proposition is unimportant. It is perfect in every proportion, and it is extremely beautiful.
We laugh at the price of it, rightly, but if I were so monied, I would pay it gladly. I see much more art and singularity in it than I do in some de Kooning that I do not understand. And elevated into the world of high art, where it belongs, it appears to my old eyes a bargain.
After looking at the early prototypes (in pictures) in a certain light, I can never unsee a direct reference to Voisin’s style in the Citroen 2CV. So at least some of its’ influences made it to the real world of real people, at least French ones.
Bugatti didn’t go to juice brakes until 1938, around the same time Ford finally did. Likely for the same reasons – both *le Patron* and Old Henry were known for a certain stubbornness with regard to engineering ideas that weren’t theirs.
Not sure which I enjoyed most Justy, Dr. T’s post or your inimitable commentary on it. Don’t ever dumb down your use of the English language! Superbe!
+1 !
That 7C Citroen faux-cab for me. Such spare lines and taut propulsion. Very nice.
Every time I look at the interior of a Traction, I think the gear lever is broken and hanging down. Probably because I’ve broken a few lesser automotive things in my time.
I have grown up looking at American stuff from that era, so the European cars always looked slightly strange to my eyes – a fascinating and beautiful kind of strange.
The Bentley up top – it is almost there, but the back half of the car seems a mite blocky and industrial, lacking the grace the English seemed to put into the tail ends of so many cars.
That 1927 Mercedes is a beauty. The German body is quite American in its styling. But I have to admit that the final Hisso is a beautiful car.
These are the great ones the Schlumpf brothers were never able to capture.
What a rich breakfast! I took my time, and ingested it all, but now I can’t move.
The Voisin and its radiator ornament are the highlights for me, as I have a thing for those that go against the grain of the established look and values.
Beautiful cars indeed. Seeing the Delahaye 135s makes me think of a Jason Isbell song, called “Hudson Commodore”. The chorus of the song goes “She just wanted to ride in a Delahaye 135. She just wanted to ride in a Hudson Commodore. No need to worry anymore”. I don’t know how much Isbell knows about cars but the lyric certainly creates a strong image, at least for me.
No open hoods to display the engines?
Too gauche?
The bodies are nice but I prefer to see the mechanics. 🙂
“Dahling, whatever are engines?”
The concours judges were wandering around and stopped to examine each car thoroughly (see the final pic). When they did, the car’s owner would open up everything and fire up the engine. But you had to be right there to try to get a picture.
I saw one of the Bugatti racers start up its supercharged straight-8, but I was too mesmerized by the spectacle to take a picture!
I only manged to get one decent photo of an engine…
Gorgeous cars for sure and huge for some of them. While looking at them I started to wonder why the British always drove on the left. What was the historical/cultural history behind it and yes I found an answer. I also found this cool video of when Sweden switched from left to right hand drive in 1967. Covers from 1955-1967 before the switch up to the switch. If you love 60s Swedish cars this one is full of them. Although I could swear I saw a Corvair at 3:10-15 and a Pontiac at 7:02.
https://youtu.be/Y8DqAIyuR0Q
when Sweden switched from left to right hand drive in 1967
You mean the right-hand rule of road, don’t you? 😉
Napoleon started it, and Adolf finished it as far as he could.
Napoleon and Adolf changed the direction of traffic in 1967 Sweden?
By 1967 the damage was done !
You know I am way better with ships since starboard and port are consistent. On cars there is right hand drive, left hand drive, left hand travel (LHT), and right hand travel (RHT). Then there is the reverse when right becomes left and left becomes right when ordering parts for a car.
Oh, also apparently goes much further back than Napoleon.
That black Hispano-Suiza has to be one of the most gorgeous cars I’ve ever seen!
+1. The only car I’ve seen (a photo of) that could make a Duesenberg look pedestrian.
All the glistening chrome and sweeping coach lines..I’m in heaven! Thank you so much for these excellent pictures. All the cars are wonderful but the Hispano is the car I want to borrow for the weekend!
I’ve been up-close with Voisins in the past (so I’m now a fan) and I recently spent time with 100 Bugattis, so I love them too, but the Hispano is seriously magnificent.
Also smitten by the black roadster next to the SS Jaguar saloon – is it another SS or even a Riley ?
Looks like a Riley to me. You can see its front end a bit in the background of the Bugatti Brescia photo.
Many thanks for the tip – yes, a Riley.
The ’34 Packard Twelve 1107 is the factory body style 739 Coupe-Roadster 2/4 passenger. Only at a concours would such a magnificent Packard be upstaged, but it would take a Brandone custom-bodied Hispano-Suiza K6 to do so. What a staggering display of automotive treasures, would leave all of us weak in the knees! From the times when art and engineering serendipitously came together. Thanks for the pictures, would have loved to be there
Thank you for identifying the Packard’s provenance and exact body type! A true blue classic it was, too. But with a Hispano to its left and a Voisin to its right, that Packard looked almost too square for its neighbouhood.
You/re welcome, for a ’34 Packard Twelve to stand on the same aesthetic plane as the Hispano-Suiza and Voisin, it would have to be one of the LeBaron customs. I’m in envy, I’ve only seen one Bentley 8-litre in all my years of going to shows… Have walked by a Jaguar SS100, suddenly realized it was a real one, not one of the replicars…
That black Hisso is simply outstanding. But so is the Bentley 8-litre. And the Packard Twelve. They’re ALL gorgeous!
All apologies, Tatra87, but I’d put the engine back in the ’38 Delehaye and drive that one over the red and black one…although it, too, is gorgeous….
An SS saloon, in immaculate condition, gets a brief mention and a Mercedes 190SL Gullwing as a tailpiece….that is one great collection….thanks for sharing!
Which did you take home?
Which did you take home?
Hehehe… the agony of choice.
The black / red Delahaye would probably be my takeaway, though that SS was also very tempting.
The Hispano, the Bentleys, the 630K and the Packard are just too big and precious. Unthinkable to be driving those down an actual road.
Wow, what an embarrassment of riches! Each one even better than the last. You must have been wandering around with your head spinning in every direction and the next installment looks to be just as magical based on what is lurking in the background of many pictures.
Like you I also have a younger brother residing in Geneve that seems to appreciate the finer things, I wonder if he was at the event, I will have to inquire.
That Voisin mascotte is superb.