REYONNAH 175 PROTOTYPE N°1

French title
Chassis n° 155-51-75
Engine n° E-3702

• 1950 Paris Motor Show car
• Prototype used for tests at Montlhéry
• Remained since the beginning with the manufacturer's family
• Exceptional look and technology

In the aftermath of WW2, Robert Hannoyer, a brilliant inventor, noted that the majority of cars were occupied by one person, while the need for means of transport was significant. He embarked on the manufacture of a microcar which anticipated parking problems and was nimble enough to enter into tiny spaces, thanks to an ingenious device of the front wheels which could be retracted under the passenger compartment. For three years, he developed his project at the rear of his wife's store, and built two prototypes successively in his garage at Porte Champerret, in Paris. Without any drawings, he shaped an elegant body inspired by aviation and powered his small car with a 175cc single-cylinder AMC engine. Once completed, he named it Reyonnah, which was his family name spelled backwards, and booked a stand at the 1950 Paris Auto Show. The concept was a success! Orders were taken, the press praised it, and the prototype, featuring a Duralinox hull (prototype n°1), went through several tests controlled by the Automobile Club de France (ACF), including one in 1951 during a Paris-Chartres- Paris, and then at the Montlhéry autodrome in 1952, where it traveled 50km at an average of more than 95 km/h. The car even participated in several concours d’elegance, including Enghien- les-Bains with actress Paulette Dubost or Bagatelle. Series production was planned, and few examples were produced (around ten, according to the son of the manufacturer) but logistics problems ended the project. Robert Hannoyer stored his two prototypes, carefully preserved by the family. In 2014, the prototype of the touring version was sold by Artcurial at Rétromobile, and now it is the prototype n° 1 with a Duralinox shell that is on offer. Its original engine, redone in the early 2000s, was recently restarted, having been fitted with a modern Kennedy ignition. The exhaust and fuel tank were redone in stainless steel, while the suspension rubbers were replaced, and the brakes overhauled. A short test has been carried out and it will be up to the future owner to make the car reliable. This Reyonnah is, without a doubt, the most interesting ever produced, since it combines the intrinsic qualities of Mr Hannoyer's invention with an unparalleled history, which goes from approved test sessions, whose official documents will be provided to the new owner, as well as its presence at the Paris Show, the many concours d’elegance, everything illustrated by period photos kept by the family, as well as the car’s first registration document from 1951. This car is an exceptional collector's item which is waiting for only one thing: to put its wheels back on the Montlhéry autodrome, 70 years later!

The auction of this lot will take place on Friday 18 March 2022.
https://www.artcurial.com/fr/lot-1951-reyonnah-175-prototype-ndeg1-no-reserve-4134-103