Among French automakers of the Art Deco era, Avions Voisin was unique. With a background in architecture, industrial design, engineering, and a successful career in aviation, Gabriel Voisin reached the height of his automotive career in the 1930s. Each Voisin automobile was designed as a whole in response to the number of passengers and their needs, then suitably titled, codified, and catalogued. Engine, chassis, and body were specifically tailored to passenger requirements and most models – crafted almost entirely in-house – featured aero-inspired designs, sophisticated suspension geometries, highly efficient sleeve-valve engines, and radical, avant-garde coachwork. The incomparable automobiles of Gabriel Voisin are the culmination of a gifted engineer’s vision beautifully realized.

The innovative Clairière first premiered in 1935 in the form of the Type C25 with a three-liter, Knight sleeve-valve, inline six-cylinder engine. The C28 further improved upon the C25 due to a larger and more powerful 3.3-liter engine. A mere 30 Voisins received Clairière coachwork and, of those, only two examples of the C28 Clairière Berline are known to exist today.

According to documents on file, the Clairière presented here, chassis 28917, was delivered to the French embassy in Berlin in 1936. It was assigned to M. Le Feule, an embassy employee who, according to H. Bernard, son of Voisin technical director Marius Bernard, enjoyed driving the sleek and powerful Voisin on the German autobahns.

By the late 1960s, the Clairière was acquired by French collector Serge Pozzoli who was assembling a French car museum and recognized the significance of the Voisin. It was sold again in 1980 and purchased by a pair of French private collectors before being acquired by the Voisin family in 1998. It was under the Voisin family’s ownership that the Clairière was restored and painted in the elegant combination of black with a blue velour interior, which it wears today.

Following completion of the restoration, the Voisin was exhibited at the 2001 Louis Vuitton Classic, held at Parc de Bagatelle in Paris. In 2010, the Clairière Berline was acquired from French Voisin authority Philipp Moch by the Mullin Collection. At some point a replica data tag was affixed to the car carrying a C15 model designation and chassis number 28917. It should also be noted that upon inspection some mechanical components will need to be sourced, including a water pump and braking system parts. Since 2010, the C28 has remained in the Mullin Collection among other significant examples of Voisin’s remarkable creations.

With only two C28 Clairières known to exist – this example, and the other on display at the Musée National de l’Automobile in France – the opportunity to acquire one of these very significant automobiles is virtually unrepeatable.

*Please note that this vehicle is titled 1929. Please also note that this vehicle has been in long-term static storage and may not be currently operational. It will require mechanical attention prior to road use.