wlaidlaw Posted May 19, 2017 Share #9801  Posted May 19, 2017 Advertisement (gone after registration) Close enough. I think this one is a little earlier around 1955-56. The engine is a supercharged 2.2 L flat four, basically two enlarged Panhard flat twins in tandem and then water cooled (Gregoire designed the Panhard flat twin as well). It was front wheel drive. The bodywork is by Henri Chapron, more famous for his Citroen Caddy convertibles. It is surprising that they sold any but they actually sold 10 in total. The price was around Ffcs 3.5 million, which was close to 30% more than a contemporary Facel Vega FVS with its 4.5L De Soto Firedome V8 engine. I think I know which one I would have had, even if the Gregoire is prettier. I have seen I think, this same car in at least two different museums in France over the last 15 years. It had a very optimistic price tag of €100,000 on it in the Musée de Rochetaille and that was in 2005, when the same museum had a Ferrari 330 GTC for sale for €68,000. I should have bought that and just tucked it away. I could get around 10 times that for it today.  Here is the unaltered photo showing name and grille badge and with its yellow headlights, which I had cloned out to make you think it was not French.  Wilson  Your turn again.   Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/119687-name-this-car/?do=findComment&comment=3278185'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted May 19, 2017 Posted May 19, 2017 Hi wlaidlaw, Take a look here Name this car..... I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Rona!d Posted May 19, 2017 Share #9802  Posted May 19, 2017 The prototype of the Sport had been shown in January 1956 at the Chicago auto fair. Grégoire planned this car mainly for the US export. While technically based on the Hotchkiss-Grégoire limousine it was a new alloy construction under the assistance of the company L´Aluminium Francaise. It remained a prototype until 1957. Meanwhile they also created 3 and 5 seater Coupes with the boxer engine and Rootes compressor. The series models got disc brakes on the front.  What about the rumour that they built the "series" cars at Automobiles Tracta SA in Asnières? I thought that company of Jean-Albert Grégoire vanished in the early 1930s (1934) while their patents had been sold to Rosengart, Imperia, DKW and Adler? I thought all Grégoires were made by Chapron. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted May 19, 2017 Share #9803  Posted May 19, 2017 Ronald,  I think a lot of French car/engineering companies muddled along with various military contracts until after the war. Sadly many of them were then killed off by the short sighted punitive post-war taxation on larger engined cars, rather than encouraging one of France's great strengths, the production of desirable luxury cars, like Delage, Delahaye, Hispano, Bugatti and so on, for export if nothing else. It would not totally surprise me if the Gregoire Sport was made at Asnières but I think it is far more likely that they were assembled by Chapron with mechanicals and the chassis supplied from Hotchkiss and Panhard.  Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuny Posted May 19, 2017 Share #9804 Â Posted May 19, 2017 If a Ghia, perhaps one of the Chrysler mashups Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuny Posted May 19, 2017 Share #9805 Â Posted May 19, 2017 If a Ghia, perhaps one of the Chrysler mashups Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rona!d Posted May 19, 2017 Share #9806  Posted May 19, 2017 If a Ghia, perhaps one of the Chrysler mashups   And if a Grégoire, perhaps the Sport ;-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rona!d Posted May 19, 2017 Share #9807  Posted May 19, 2017 Advertisement (gone after registration) And what is this one? Maker, model and (if possible) year please.   Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/119687-name-this-car/?do=findComment&comment=3278591'>More sharing options...
a.j.z Posted May 20, 2017 Share #9808 Â Posted May 20, 2017 (edited) Something from the fifties with a door that opens backwards? Edited May 20, 2017 by a.j.z Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rona!d Posted May 20, 2017 Share #9809 Â Posted May 20, 2017 Something from the fifties with a door that opens backwards? Not. 60s and opens forward. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted May 20, 2017 Share #9810 Â Posted May 20, 2017 Auto Union 1000 S Cabrio 1961? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rona!d Posted May 20, 2017 Share #9811 Â Posted May 20, 2017 Intesting idea, Wilson. Not an Auto Union, sorry. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rona!d Posted May 21, 2017 Share #9812  Posted May 21, 2017 OK, next crop.   Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/119687-name-this-car/?do=findComment&comment=3279747'>More sharing options...
Michael Hiles Posted May 22, 2017 Share #9813 Â Posted May 22, 2017 (edited) Makes me think Mercedes Benz, a W111 or W112 Edited May 22, 2017 by Michael Hiles Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rona!d Posted May 22, 2017 Share #9814  Posted May 22, 2017 Makes me think Mercedes Benz, a W111 or W112  That´s right, Michael. Your turn!  Was an easy one, but also a special one. W112.014, 300 SE, 6.3 ltr., air suspension and all the extras which made it the king in the MB lineup after the W189 had died and before the new 600 (W100) arrived.  They overloaded the car with all the gimmicks they had in stock and could think of, even developed an own (poorly operating) new automatic gearbox, which didn´t work smooth and soft. They put so much in there because the body design was a "standard" W111 220 SEb.  This car (here a SWB as you could see in the side 300SE logo) surely is a nightmare for the unexperienced mechanic and it looks so "boring normal" ;-) Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/119687-name-this-car/?do=findComment&comment=3280289'>More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted May 22, 2017 Share #9815  Posted May 22, 2017 Mechatronik can sort the 300-6.3's out completely, but of course, for a very substantial wedge of Euros, even the gearbox. I was driving on Saturday, a W113 Pagoda 280SL with a 4.3L Mercedes V8 and 5 speed autobox, that Mechatronik had done for rough road rallying and what a lovely job they had done with it. Ohlins suspension etc etc.  Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rona!d Posted May 22, 2017 Share #9816 Â Posted May 22, 2017 Drove some of their cars from refined originals to "modernized daily drivers". They would be my choice in case I had an old Benz. Good people there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hiles Posted May 22, 2017 Share #9817 Â Posted May 22, 2017 I didn't realize that they ever put the 6.3 engine into this chassis - there is of course the famous version in the W109. Â I have always understood that the air suspension on these cars, and the 600, is an expensive nightmare to maintain or repair. It reminds me of WC Fields - "they're like like elephants. Nice to look at, but you wouldn't want to own one". Â I will ask someone else with an archive of pictures to step in. I have nothing that wouldn't be recognized in a trice. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rona!d Posted May 22, 2017 Share #9818 Â Posted May 22, 2017 And Mercedes Benz advertised their air suspension as the first in a German series car which was completely nonsense. There was the Borgward P100 earlier. Â (A friends dad had a P100 and when she borrowed it, I can remember the fun we had when we had to stop at a crossing etc. The Borgwards air suspension made funny sounds and the pedestrians were pretty careful around the car). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuny Posted May 26, 2017 Share #9819  Posted May 26, 2017 Just to keep this alive, how about this generous crop?  Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/119687-name-this-car/?do=findComment&comment=3283233'>More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted May 26, 2017 Share #9820  Posted May 26, 2017 I don't know about the mechanicals but I would guess either a Figoni & Falaschi or Saoutchik body. Maybe on a Talbot Lago, Delage or Delahaye chassis.  Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now