The Voisin C20 was the twelve-cylinder flagship of Avions Voisin, built from 1930 to 1933. Its 4,890 cc V12 produced 115 bhp and carried the low, angular coachwork of Gabriel Voisin’s last great period, in the Siroco coupé and Mylord Demi-Berline bodies.
Voisin C20 at a glance
| Maker | Avions Voisin, Issy-les-Moulineaux |
|---|---|
| Production | 1930–1933 |
| Engine | V12, 4,890 cc |
| Power | 115 bhp |
| French tax rating | 28 CV |
| Bodies | Siroco coupé, Mylord Demi-Berline |
| Chassis | underslung, very low |
| Concours | Best of Show, Amelia Island 2009 |
| Auction | $2,750,000 in 2010 |
| Engine lineage | V12 experiments at Voisin from 1921 |
No Wikipedia article exists for the C20; this page is based on the Avions Voisin company article in English and French, and is based on one source.
History of the Voisin C20
The C20 appeared in 1930 as the most expensive car in the Voisin range. Its twelve-cylinder engine of 4,890 cc developed 115 bhp and was rated at 28 CV under the French system, enough to move the large, low body at luxury-car speeds. The C20 was the production expression of an idea Voisin had been exploring since 1921, when the company built a 7.2-litre V12 prototype; the production car used a smaller, more practical twelve.
The model is inseparable from its coachwork. The Siroco coupé of 1930 and the Mylord Demi-Berline of 1931 show the Voisin house style at its most sculptural: long, low proportions, an angular radiator and aluminium panels shaped by the rational principles André Noel had established a decade earlier. The underslung chassis of the 1930s Voisins made the cars strikingly low, and the C20 was the largest of them. Wealthy clients could order the chassis with bodies from independent coachbuilders as well.
The C20’s place in the collector world was secured much later. A 1931 C20 Mylord Demi-Berline won Best of Show at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in 2009 and was sold the following year at Amelia Island for $2,750,000. That result, together with the survival of several original cars, made the C20 one of the most valuable of all Voisins. Production ended in 1933, as the Depression and Gabriel Voisin’s mounting financial difficulties closed the company’s most ambitious chapter.
Design and features
- V12 engine: 4,890 cc and 115 bhp, rated at 28 CV.
- Underslung chassis: the low-slung layout of the 1930s Voisins.
- Siroco coupé: the 1930 closed body with the characteristic angular radiator.
- Mylord Demi-Berline: the 1931 close-coupled saloon body.
- Concours pedigree: Best of Show at Amelia Island in 2009 and a $2,750,000 sale in 2010.
Voisin C20 versions
- C20 (1930–1933): the standard V12 chassis.
- C20 Siroco coupé: the 1930 closed coupé.
- C20 Mylord Demi-Berline: the 1931 close-coupled saloon.
- Coachbuilt C20: chassis bodied by independent coachbuilders.
The C20 was the twelve-cylinder flagship above the Voisin C14 and the streamlined Voisin C25. More cars are in the Voisin collection.
Video: 1931 Voisin C20 V12 Mylord Demi-Berline
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Avions Voisin, English Wikipedia: engines, company history, concours and auction record
- Avions Voisin, French Wikipedia: coachwork, model range
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