Description
Unregistered
Engine n ° 10412
- In the same family since the 1920s!
- Stored for 51 years in a barn
- One of the last vis-à-vis products
- No reserve
The history of this Vis-à-Vis De Dion-Bouton is just as remarkable as its state of preservation. It is one of the last vis-à-vis marketed, the "L" type. The number of its 6. 5 HP engine, as well as that of the gearbox, equipped with a reverse gear, corroborate this finding. It would have been the property of an engineer from De Dion Bouton who had registered it around September 1920 in the Paris region. The car was then transported to his country house and was bought, along with the house, by the grandfather of the current owners in the 1920s. At that time, it had already been rebodied into a more comfortable two-seater convertible, with an alligator hood, most certainly during the 1910s. All the mechanical elements had been preserved, as well as the driver's seat and its base, while the rear section had been extended, and the front part of that upgraded to the taste of the 1910s. It should be noted that from 1902, the opposed-seating bodywork began to go out of fashion, and it is easy to understand such a modernization a few years later. Several family photos show the car in its current form, in 1945, then in the 1960s. It was in the summer of 1969 that the car made its last outing on its own, at a village party, before being stored in the family property, in a corner of a barn. How amazed we were when the doors of the barn opened before our eyes, 51 years later! Repainted a long time ago, the bodywork is well preserved, especially the original woodwork under the driver's seat. The engine is not blocked and has its rare De Dion-Bouton carburetor, while the ignition is with a magneto. The original aluminum steering column, dismantled to install tilted steering during the body modification, comes with the car. This most accomplished version of the vis-à-vis is exceptionally well preserved, a real "barn find" discovery as all enthusiasts dream of doing one day! An exciting project indeed.
Auction estimate: €30 000 /€50 000
