It is the very stuff of dreams: cars, since their invention, allow escape, literally and figuratively. In the magnificent album entitled “A history of the automobile in 100 mythical models” (Albin Michel), Gérard de Cortanze, author of novels (“Me, Tina Modotti”, “The king who wanted to see the sea”) and many essays (“Dictionary of lovers of the sixties”) comments with humor and sagacity on photos of brilliant cars (for the most part). For “l’Obs”, he presents eight models, chic or popular. Memories, desires, regrets, everything is there.
De Dion-Bouton type K7 (1901)
The starting point is the meeting of two crazy people, Jules-Albert de Dion and Georges Bouton. The first is an original. Invited to a costume ball at the Duke of Morny’s, he goes to buy party favors and, in a shop at Porte de Clignancourt, he sees a small steam train moving forward in the window. He asks about the manufacturer. It’s Georges Button. They meet, and have an idea. While Bollée had the automobile monopoly, Dion and Bouton decided to build a cheaper and lighter steam car than Bollée’s. They released a machine in 1883, then a second in 1885. Why not try gasoline, they said to themselves. They produce the first French production car: 8 horsepower, incredible speed of 30 km/h, equipped with Ducellier acetylene lanterns, a novelty! Success is there, but the models are still very expensive.
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Hispano-Swiss 32 hp (1921)
It is the very model of elegance. The most innovative technology of the moment is used, the aerodynamics are inspired by aviation. Thus, the stork in flight on the bonnet, the Hispano-Suiza emblem, is its symbol. All the monarchs of the time wanted one. Boxing star George Carpenter drives through Paris on January 27, 1921 in his Hispano-Suiza and is acclaimed. Packed with innovations, it has a top speed of 140 km/h and brakes on all four wheels. We are still in the era of vehicles inspired by the tradition of horse-drawn carriages. The driver is outside like a coachman, the passenger in a closed cabin. The car will be sold in 600 copies, big success. It takes a fortune to buy it, and a fortune to maintain it.
Rolls-Royce 40/50 Phantom (1927)
Right from the start, an English journalist described her as “the best car in the world”. On the 40/50, manufactured between 1925 and 1931, nicknamed “the aluminum sculpture”, the bodywork and the chassis are made of aluminium. The other innovation is the Marchal wiper blades and spark plugs. The latter, with the cat mask, have a famous slogan: “I only lend my eyes to Marchal”. And the only noise we hear, they say, is the ticking of the on-board clock. We are entering the era of sophisticated cars, like the Hotchkiss, sold by my great-uncle, which had wooden siding. All this consumed 30 liters. When you see the sophistication of the Phantom’s dashboard, those great seats, it’s a work of art! 3,500 units were sold at the time.
Delahaye 135 S (1938)
We are entering the realm of motor racing. Especially the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The brand that wins then is Alfa-Romeo. Italy takes it all. The French, annoyed, line up six Talbot-Lago, a Delage, several Simca, Darl’Mat (including one piloted by my great-uncle) and seven Delahaye. They come in first, second and fourth place. The No. 15 driven by Eugène Chabout and Jean Trémoulet will cover 3,200 kilometers at the extraordinary speed of 132 km/h. The Delahaye 135 S is fitted with foglamps which are “offset double parabola”. We sell this model in 2,500 copies, which we see passing on the roads of France. It must be said that safety, in the automobile, is basic: the helmets are made of leather. There are pilots, dressed in white, with a scarf, who do not put on a helmet, because it is inelegant. Some runners, in competition, smoke a pipe.
Peugeot 203 (1948)
It’s my madeleine. My father had one, my great-uncle did the Algiers-Le Cap rally in 1951 with a Peugeot 203 station wagon. Initially, this car is not very popular. It is slow, they say, a little heavy (a ton and a half!), but little by little, you get used to it. Cheap, it gets a good place in rallies, and above all, it has a heater, brand Sofica. At the time, most cars did not have it. There was also a two-position Retornox mirror, another novelty. You could also buy accessories, including fog lights, wheel covers, and the more or less large Peugeot lion hood.
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Bugatti Veyron 16.4 (2005)
The car of superlatives. 1,000 horsepower, 413 km/h, acceleration from 0 to 100 in less than three seconds, 24 liters per 100, and a crazy price: 2 million euros. What is fascinating is that we are at the crossroads of aeronautical research and space research. The engine block is exceptional, tires made from an original alloy, a carbon fiber chassis, and a Valéo parking assistance system. It can park itself! All 450 copies were sold, often before they were even manufactured.
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG (2009)
It is a particular model with butterfly doors, taken from the 1950s. It is the first to be equipped with an intelligent AquaBlade Valéo system. The liquid on the windshield will be projected regularly whatever the circumstances and the speed. We have better visibility, and ecology will become an important factor, since we save water. This car with a 6.2 liter V8 engine was declined in several versions, and sold 5,000 copies. CO emissions2 were also reduced by 30%.
Lamborghini Aventador LP 700 (2011)
The idea is that all Lamborghinis refer to bullfighting. There is the Islero, the Miura, the Espada, the Dablo etc. The extra power of this car is interesting: 700 horsepower, 355 km/h, from 0 to 100 in 2.9 seconds. It’s sophisticated but, according to Lamborghini, a sports car has to be earned. So we removed a number of gadgets, to find the original sensations. So there’s no air conditioning, no radio, no navigation, no turbo, no electric fan, and the only concession is the Twin Disc to improve clutch performance. For 1.6 million you have a Spartan car.
Images taken from the book “A history of the automobile in 100 mythical models”.
