Tag Archives: 1925

Voisin C5

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1925 Voisin C5 Faux Cabriolet by Besset

Offered by Bonhams | Chichester, U.K. | September 17, 2022

Photo – Bonhams

Here’s something I did not know: Voisin’s “Cx” naming convention is in honor of his late brother, Charles. The first Voisin, the M1, was actually developed by Andre Citroen and purchased as a design by Voisin before being re-christened the C1.

Fast forward a few models and we have the C5, which was offered between 1923 and 1928. It is powered by a 4.0-liter Knight sleeve-valve inline-four that produced 100 horsepower and could push the car to 78 mph. More impressive is that the car had power-assisted brakes from the factory.

Carrosserie Besset of Annonay, France, provided the faux cabriolet coachwork with a fabric-covered fixed roof with fake landau bars. The story on this car is that it was discovered in France and restored in Switzerland “over a period of years” that is then listed as “1975-2006.” A period of years is perhaps an understatement. In any case, it now has an estimate of $115,000-$150,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

Lagonda 12/24

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1925 Lagonda 12/24 Tourer

Offered by H&H Classics | Duxford, U.K. | March 16, 2022

Photo – H&H Classics

Lagonda, which sounds somewhat exotic and high-end, is actually named after a place in… Ohio. The company, which is British, was founded by an Ohioan named Wilbur Gunn. It was taken over by Aston Martin in 1947 and used as a model name on a few Astons over the years.

But this car pre-dates Aston and was offered between 1923 and 1926 alongside the “12”, which carried a slightly lower taxable horsepower rating. Between the two models, approximately 6,000 examples were made, 2,250 of which were the 12/24. Only five are known to exist.

The car features semi-monocoque construction and is powered by a 1.5-liter inline-four that could push the car to 50 mph. Many later Lagondas have swoopy, sporty styling. But this early, more staid example is proof that the company had more humble roots. It has an estimate of $20,000-$22,500. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $21,666.

Sizaire Freres

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1925 Sizaire Freres 4 RI Berline

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | March 18, 2022

Photo – Artcurial

Sizaire-Naudin was a combination of the Sizaire Brothers and family friend Louis Naudin. Their company produced cars from 1903 through 1921, with the Sizaires only remaining with the firm until 1912. The following year they co-founded Sizaire-Berwick with London-based financial investment. By 1920, they had moved onto their own company: Sizaire Freres, which was based solely in France.

The company lasted through 1929 and included models powered by Hotchkiss and Willys-Knight engines. This particular car is powered by a 2.0-liter overhead-cam inline-four that made 50 horsepower. This model was the company’s biggest technical achievement with four-wheel independent suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, and the relatively advanced engine.

The catalog describes the body as “Weymann-type,” which means it’s probably not actually a Weymann body, and the landau bars on the solid rear pillar are an interesting touch. The car hasn’t been driven in a decade and needs mechanical work. Even still, it has a pre-sale estimate of $38,000-$55,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

Guyot Grand Prix

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1925 Guyot Special GS25

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | March 18, 2022

Photo – Artcurial

Albert Guyot was an early gearhead. By 1905 he ran a Gladiator and Delage garage in France and later turned to driving race cars. He competed in five Indianapolis 500s between 1913 and 1926, with four top 10 finishes, the highest being third in 1914.

He also ran races in European Grands Prix. He drove a Duesenberg in the 1921 French Grand Prix. Rolland-Pilain hired him the next year to design their Grand Prix car. After that, he started designing his own car, the GS25, seen here. It appeared for the 1925 season. It’s powered by a supercharged 2.0-liter inline-six that featured a valve-less aluminum design. Horsepower was rated at 125.

The competition history for this car includes:

  • 1925 Italian Grand Prix – 14th, DNF (with Guyot)

After that, it entered in Formula Libre events, remaining in competition until 1948. A restoration happened circa 1980, with mechanical freshening happening more recently. This one-off Grand Prix car carries an estimate of $420,000-$535,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Durant Rugby

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1925 Rugby Model F Tourer

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | October 28, 2021

Photo – Brightwells

Billy Durant’s second automobile empire after GM was Durant Motors. It only lasted for a decade, from 1921 through 1931, but he did manage to assemble a small contingent of brands, including Durant, Flint, Mason, and Star. He even expanded overseas.

But the Star name was already in use in the U.K. So Durant rebranded his Star cars as the Rugby for the British Commonwealth. It was a relative success. About 70,000 Model Fs were churned out under the various Durant brands across all markets. This car is powered by a 2.0-liter inline-four that was rated at 35 horsepower when new.

The great thing about Stars is that they are very inexpensive today, even for a nice one, which this looks to be. The pre-sale estimate is only $10,000-$11,500. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold (I think), $10,001.

Wilcox 1.5-Ton Truck

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1925 Wilcox 1.5-Ton Delivery

Offered by The Vault | Online | October 1-14, 2020

Photo – The Vault

The HE Wilcox Motor Car Company was founded in Minneapolis in 1906, and they started producing passenger cars the next year under the Wolfe brand. They changed the brand name to Wilcox in 1909, and in the following year came commercial vehicles.

It must’ve been a successful endeavor because they stopped producing passenger vehicles in 1910 as well. In 1921, the company name was changed to Wilcox Trux, which strikes me as very forward-thinking looking through the lens of today’s world of slang-influenced company names. Production continued until 1928.

Not much is known about this truck, but the auction catalog states that it may be the only such example extant (though there are other Wilcox trucks in existence). And there are Wolfe automobiles around too. This truck is selling at no reserve, and you can find out more about it here. Click here for more from this sale.

Bugatti Type 39 Grand Prix

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1925 Bugatti Type 39 Grand Prix

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 6, 2020

Photo – Bonhams

The Bugatti Type 39 is part of the Type 35 series and is very similar to the Type 35C. The main exception was the engine, which in this car was a 1.5-liter straight-eight. The cars were successful in competition upon their debut, taking the top four spots in their first race (this one was third).

This particular car was a factory racer that went to Australia under a privateer banner in 1926. It suffered a series of engine failures in the 1920s and then bounced between a number of owners leading up to and after WWII. It has since been completely restored.

I’ve always thought that Grand Prix Bugattis were too cheap. This car carries an estimate of $1,200,000-$1,600,000… which is a little less inexpensive. After all, only 10 Type 39s were built. You can see more about this one here, and see more from Bonhams here.

Update: Not sold.

H6B Transformable Cabriolet

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1925 Hispano-Suiza H6B Transformable Cabriolet by Belvallette

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Phoenix, Arizona | January 16, 2020

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

This French-built Hispano-Suiza is from the middle of the H6 line and is one of many such cars built by the company to carry a beautiful coachbuilt body. The H6B was introduced in 1922, and the entire line lasted through 1933.

This car is bodied by Belvallette of Paris. It’s a four-door convertible, with suicide doors up front and a semi-formal three-position convertible top. The engine is a 135 horsepower, 6.6-liter inline-six. The original owner of the car is known, but the trail goes dark for over 60 years before the car reappeared in 1984 in original condition.

Since restored, the car has resided in a few prominent U.S.-based collections since. It is now estimated to be worth between $375,000-$425,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $445,000.

Four More from Artcurial

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Four More from Artcurial

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 9, 2018

1931 Villard Type 31A

Photo – Artcurial

Sté de Automobiles Villard existed in France between 1925 and 1935. They were primarily known for building a three-wheeled cyclecar. They sold some four-wheeled cars in 1927 and in 1931 introduced this as their “export” model. The intent for this particular model was to be sold in the United States, but it seems unlikely Villard ever moved many of them there.

It’s powered by a 500cc V-4. It’s said that this is the only such Villard known to exist, which might mean that it is the original prototype (which was known to have survived after successfully finding its way to the U.S.). In all, only 20 Villard automobiles of any type are known to exist. This one, in relatively good shape, should bring between $9,500-$15,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $21,903.

1922 EHP Type B3

Photo – Artcurial

EHP, which stands for Établissememts Henri Precloux, after the man who founded it, built cars out of La Garenne-Colombes, Paris, between 1921 and 1929. EHP cars are notable for being shaft-driven and also for their competition outings, something many cyclecar manufacturers did not do.

This Type B3 is powered by a 893cc SCAP straight-four. A tiny, two-seat coupe, this car is in need of a full restoration. EHP cars aren’t seen often and this one should bring between $7,000-$12,000. Interesting note… there were all these guys who founded car companies before 1930 and when they failed, no one really knows what happened to them. Well it turns out that, in the 1960s, Henri Precloux was working as a welder in Paris. Fun fact. Click here for more about this car.

Update: Sold $26,284.

1925 Monet & Goyon Type VM2 Cyclecar

Photo – Artcurial

Here is a cyclecar from a cycle manufacturer. Monet-Goyon was founded in 1917 by Joseph Monet and Adrien Goyon in France. As a motorcycle manufacturer, the company existed until 1959 – which is a fairly long time and their post-war bikes are fairly common. But few remember that for a few years in the 1920s they experimented with light automobiles.

The Type VM2 is powered by a 350cc single-cylinder Villiers engine making six horsepower. It has chain-drive and is apparently very light. Not many examples of Monet & Goyon’s four-wheeled vehicles still exist and few are as complete (if not as original) as this. It should bring between $7,000-$15,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $7,301.

1911 Renault CB Surbaisse

Photo – Artcurial

We’ve done a couple of these posts the last few weeks featuring really obscure marques of cars. While this may be a Renault, it is too bizarre to pass up. The Type CB was introduced in 1911 and was Renault’s mid-range model, featuring a 12 horsepower straight-four.

The body is a Victoria-type with an uncomfortable front bench for the chauffeur (featuring no seat back… good posture required). The rear has a convertible top, which only does you any good if the sun is behind you. Otherwise you’re A) still getting burned by the sun; B) still getting wet and; C) still getting hit with bugs. This honestly just looks like a horse-drawn carriage you’d find in Central Park but with a big air-cooled motor up front. It’s unusual and should bring between $42,500-$67,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $36,505.

Monet & Goyon Cyclecar

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1925 Monet & Goyon Type VM2 Cyclecar

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 9, 2018

Photo – Artcurial

Here is a cyclecar from a cycle manufacturer. Monet-Goyon was founded in 1917 by Joseph Monet and Adrien Goyon in France. As a motorcycle manufacturer, the company existed until 1959 – which is a fairly long time and their post-war bikes are fairly common. But few remember that for a few years in the 1920s they experimented with light automobiles.

The Type VM2 is powered by a 350cc single-cylinder Villiers engine making six horsepower. It has chain-drive and is apparently very light. Not many examples of Monet & Goyon’s four-wheeled vehicles still exist and few are as complete (if not as original) as this. It should bring between $7,000-$15,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $7,301.