Voisin Book

barttore · **Joined:** Wed Jul 15, 2009 5:38 pm **Posts:** 642

For those who also like other beautiful cars:
The best non-Bugatti book in existence (IMHO)
Automobiles Voisin: 1919-1958 by Pascal Courteault
Is for sale on a Dutch trading site:
http://link.marktplaats.nl/267414446
I see it very rarely on ebay (once in appx. 2 yrs)

no commercial interest: I already have the book myself.
I can very much recommend it: "cheating" is allowed this time / this way

regards, Bart

Patrick · **Posted:** Fri Aug 14, 2009 10:38 pm

The book is a must have, even for us Bugatti-afficionados. The price is rather sky-high, though I wouldn't sell mine for even double this price.

regards,
Patrick

Johan Buchner · **Posted:** Mon Aug 17, 2009 10:16 pm

I agree, writing about Voisins is cheating ; I also agree that it is allowed and indeed, should be encouraged. I want this book like crazy, I really do. And I also want Simon Moore's works on the 8C2.9 & 2.3. And I have nothing on Delage, Hispano Suiza, Isotta Fraschini or Mercedes Benz either. But on my budget it will be just Bugattis until (a) I have a copy of every book ever published or (b) I win the lottery.

Take it from me people, relative poverty sucks relatively. Sorry, I've had a long day.

Johan

barttore · **Joined:** Wed Jul 15, 2009 5:38 pm **Posts:** 642

Johan,
Thank you for your absolution !

I feel relieved ! I Know now I am not alone in having these feelings.

Now I have the Voisin book off my chest I feel I must confess more. :oops:

I do have other non Bugatti books on
Alfa Romeo, Amilcar, Bentley (yes those "truck"-models), Bucciali, BMW, Delage & Delahaye (those great books by Adatto), DFP, Frazer Nash, Gregoire, Leyat Helica, Hispano-Suiza, Lancia, Lea Francis, Maybach, MG, Morgan (though only on the 3 wheeled sort), Riley, Rolls Royce, Salmson, Skoda/Laurin&Klement,
Spyker, Talbot, Tatra, Vintage specials, Voisin, Vale special. And that is only on the pre-war makes.

Pfew now I feel even more relieved, getting this confession done. But I am afraid I am going to sin a lot more after buying Isotta Frashini and hopefully soon Georges Irat (re-edition soon on http://www.clubgeorgesirat.fr/index_fic ... ge1462.htm) and some more I do not know of yet.

I think I need books on other makes to remind me to know that Bugatti Books are and will always be the most addictive sort. How about that for an excuse. :lol:

Yes I have a habit. But please do not send a Doctor. I will ask my wife to check regularly that my books on Bugatti are still the majority above other makes and to inform you directly if there is cause for serious concern.

Thank you for listening. I can sleep peacefully again having confided this to you (I think).
Best regards, Bart

PS did I mention I am writing a book myself ? And that it is not on Bugatti but on various racing competitors ?
Sorry Sorry me :oops:

Johan Buchner · **Posted:** Wed Aug 19, 2009 9:11 am

We have quite a lot in common, there is more to life than Bugattis. And comparing Bugattis with other marques just increase the mystery for me - look at Delage, Delahaye and Hotchkiss, these cars offered as much, if not more than Bugatti, they were cheaper to buy and maintain ; yet it is Bugatti which has become the most revered marque of all.

At the moment I am in the midst of a Delage D8-120 infatuation of epic proportions (The Delage Aerosport is a more beautiful car than the tear-drop Talbot - discuss) but it will never match my love for the T57S. In the French Forum there is an ongoing discussion about the ex-Peter Williamson T35/51 which stirred something within me - Result? Last night I read both Conway and Hucke's writings on the early T35. Those first T35s with narrow section tires and small radiator still moves things within my soul.

As much as I admire the Silver Arrows of the 1930's (Strange how a nation as accomplished and cultured as the Germans can embrace the darkest aspects of the human psyche and still produce such beautiful cars.), I still can stare for hours at the placement of the radiator relative to the front axle, relative to the length and position of the front springs and finished off by the shock-absorbers on a T35. Every line, every curve, every proportion is simply perfect. (from what I understand actual ownership of a racing Bugatti is not quite so romantic)

And since we are sharing secrets (don't tell this to anyone!) I quite like being a marque whore, it helps put Bugatti in context and prevents me from turning into a zealot. A member of BIG related to me the story of a well-known Bugattist who stormed out of a gathering because someone dared to speak highly of another marque! There's just too many interesting cars to be that narrow-minded.

You know what really intrigues me? The 1930's. A decade that started with the Great Depression and ended with the outbreak of WWII, yet some of the most awesome cars of all time were built during this troubled decade. Extraordinary. I think that's why I love Norbert Steinhauser's work so much ; he puts Ettore Bugatti in context, strip him of the silly, and unnecessary, romance and reveals both a flawed man and an inconsistent genius. Ettore's flaws, like a 300 SL Gullwing's rear suspension, adds spice and an element of risk that ensures immortality.

There were many, many automotive engineers far greater than Ettore Bugatti, and yes, there are a great many cars more accomplished than a Bugatti. Yet it is the Bugatti that I love more than all the rest. It is not logical, love never is.

Now you will have to excuse me, it is tea-time and I have been writing since I got to work! I'm prepared to neglect my job for Bugattis - for a Delage, even a D8-120 - not so much.

Kind Regards
Johan

PS. You're writing a book? Best of luck and congratulations!

DJ Dirk · **Joined:** Mon Jun 30, 2008 8:22 pm **Posts:** 191

AARRRRGHHHH

don't remind me of this book
it's one of the elusive ones that i really want
i had a copy with the english translation in my hands last week at the Automobilia show in Monterey
they where asking US$1000
it is still the definitive book on Voisin. unless there will be finally a readittion (is the author still alive??) or if somebody else finally makes a new book entirelly!

Johan
i can tell you
you won't be dissapointed with Moor's 2.3 & 2.9 book (sorry for the new fuel addition)

On another note
i bought the new book of Furman last sunday
http://www.coachbuiltpress.com/bookpage-simeone.html
haven't read it though
but one thing ticked me off a bit when i saw it back home
there's 2 Bugatti in the book (T35 s/n 4752 & T57G s/n 57G 01)
& for some reason they stuffed the T35 under the chapter Road Racing in Italy, i guess because of the Mille Miglia
yet i feel it would be more appropriate to place it under Le Mans before WWII
since all other cars in that Italian chapter ARE Italian cars

barttore · **Joined:** Wed Jul 15, 2009 5:38 pm **Posts:** 642

Johan

when you like the Delages so much, consider buying
The Delage book on http://www.adattoauto.com/
and/or
From passion to perfection on http://www.adattoauto.com/about_book.shtml
Great books, not so expensive.
The last one also features the Aerosport Voisin, Peugeot D'arl Mat (which I like very much) and other aerodynamic cars lik the t57 atlantic, Hispano Dubonnet xenia and embiricos Bentley (yes that "truck"-make).
There is another book on Delage by Rousseau but at € 300++ I let the laste on I've seen go by.

I really enjoy those great details like vutotal windows, front windows that wind down into the body and parralel opening doors.
What I find strange is that I concluded for myself that I like Bugattis best when unrestored, with lots and lots of patina. But with other cars like teardrop Delahayes, Delages and Tablot and alike I like them best fully resored in their full glory. Maybe that is because they were always meant to be show cars, like Bugatti's were cars meant to be driven.

best regards, Bart

DJ Dirk · **Joined:** Mon Jun 30, 2008 8:22 pm **Posts:** 191

finally managed to get the Voisin book this weekend at a good price with the english translation

i've been going nuts just looking at the pics already :mrgreen:

barttore · **Joined:** Wed Jul 15, 2009 5:38 pm **Posts:** 642

Congratulations ! Enjoy your book.

Do check your translation-book there are known examples (mine !) with some pages double and some pages missing. Luckily I 've got copies of the missing pages.

You might also want to consider this new book:
http://www.switchimage.org/Lefebvre_The_Book.html

regards, Bart

DJ Dirk · **Joined:** Mon Jun 30, 2008 8:22 pm **Posts:** 191

just checked the pagenrs & that looks in order

& that new book is from Veloce so shouldn't be too expensive
i'll put it on the list together with the other 200+ books that are on there :mrgreen:

hortig78rpm · **Joined:** Thu Jun 19, 2008 12:12 pm **Posts:** 247

bought my voisin book in a set-sale in the mid 9o`s I think for about 13o.-- euros and sold it two years ago for eur. 4oo.-- which was a fair price, $ 1ooo.-- is something beyond the truth.
there have always great books, general, marques , which I managed to buy, but a new hobby ( 78 rpm records) made me sell some of them, incl. the bugatti magnum, which I ( dont blame me) not really liked. I still have books on duesenberg, isotta fraschini !!!, hispano suiza ( incl. the long out of print spanish book spreading the time until 192o).there are great books on collections like the nethercutt, the old harrah`s
and so on.
I´ve also books on the history of the car before WWII with termondous colour pics.
but next to the T57s book, my most beloved book always is:"million dollar cars", a real eye -catcher with cars from bugatti, delage , mercedes, maybach or isotta frascini..
and dont forget the long out of print "grande routiers", "sport coupes" and "sport carbriolets" with great 193o`s stuff
so you see, there are a lot of great prewar-car books around, which I, as a great bugatti-fan, always enjoyed.

mike

Laurent · **Joined:** Wed Jan 28, 2009 2:07 pm **Posts:** 9

If you are looking for an excellent book on Delage, prefer the one wrote by Daniel Cabart and Claude Rouxel : "Delage, France's finest car" published by Dalton Watson.
A very nicely done and containing only period document, this book is a must for any car enthusiast. The text is a very complete history of this car manufacturer, in many aspects, there are some similarities between Delage and Bugatti.
This book is also available in French published by ETAI.

barttore · **Joined:** Wed Jul 15, 2009 5:38 pm **Posts:** 642

Jaap is selling his Voisin-book by Courteault (he must have a very high fever :lol:

for me this book is in the once bought- never sell section):

and also a copy of French Vintage cars by John Bolser I can very recommend

Histoire Du Grand Prix 1900-1914 by TASO Mathieson is also great but I would prefer the Englisch version

see: http://www.special-classics.com/books-marque.htm

J.J.Horst · **Posted:** Thu Feb 18, 2010 11:50 am

Thanks Barttore for referring to my site!

I just sell the Voisin book as I am a one-marque only collector.

It's a nice book, but I just can't and won't put all on my shelves that has been published on automobiles.

I have been selling a load of Magnums in the past year, to the point that I do not even own one myself anymore... It's a nice book of course, but a little over-rated in my opinion, expecially when comparing to all the new books that have been published the past years.

Voisin Book

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