Limited serie of 50 pieces only

Voisin C28 Saliot Cabriolet — 1938

Voisin C28 — the singular elegance of Gabriel Voisin

By the end of the 1930s, Gabriel Voisin had reached one of the most daring periods of his career. His automobiles combined unconventional mechanical engineering with coachwork that often seemed to belong to another era.

The C28, introduced in the mid-1930s, perfectly embodied this philosophy. Its six-cylinder sleeve-valve engine, derived from Knight technology, produced approximately 100 hp. It was coupled to a Cotal pre-selector gearbox, while the chassis featured particularly sophisticated suspension.

Production of the C28 remained extremely limited, with only around sixty examples built. Most received bodies designed by the factory, but a few chassis were entrusted to independent coachbuilders to create completely different automobiles.

Chassis 53002 belongs to this very special category.

Built in 1938, it was initially used in its original configuration before receiving a new body several years later. In 1946 or 1947, it was entrusted to Saliot, one of the leading Voisin specialists, who intended to create a new automobile on the existing chassis.

The resulting coachwork is one of the most remarkable ever fitted to a C28. Its low, flowing silhouette differs radically from the more angular shapes of pre-war Voisin coachwork. The enveloping fenders, very low beltline and particularly clean cabriolet design give the car an almost contemporary appearance.

Saliot did not, however, operate a coachbuilding workshop of his own. His “Saliot Specials” were produced by outside coachbuilders. The exact builder of this particular body is not known with certainty, although its design bears strong similarities to period creations by Faget-Varnet and Belgian coachbuilder Van den Plas.

Saliot retained the car for several years before giving it to Father Jean Gehard, a Benedictine monk and close confidant of Gabriel Voisin. He kept and enjoyed the cabriolet for many years.

In 1967, the car was sold at auction, with the proceeds reportedly helping to finance the construction of a new monastery.

It subsequently passed through the hands of several Voisin enthusiasts. In the early 1990s, it was acquired by a Voisin historian who undertook extensive research into Saliot and supervised a complete restoration of the automobile.

Following an initial restoration in metallic blue, the car received its present livery. It was subsequently shown at several European concours events and, in 2006, appeared at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance during the tribute to Voisin.

Today, chassis 53002 is regarded as one of only two known C28s to have received coachwork attributed to Saliot. It therefore represents an exceptional testimony to French creativity in the years immediately following the Second World War.

The Chromes 1:43 scale model

The Chro69 model reproduces chassis 53002 and its remarkable Cabriolet coachwork attributed to Saliot.

Particular attention has been paid to the car's very low silhouette, enveloping fenders, unusual proportions and the many distinctive details of this unique creation.

Through this model, Chromes pays tribute to an automobile that brings together Gabriel Voisin's visionary spirit and Saliot's boldness in an exceptionally rare creation.