1949 Voisin Biscooter Prototype
Length: 8’5”
Seating: 4
Power: 6 hp
Estimate: $60,000 – $80,000
An aviation engineer (and pioneer) first and foremost, Gabriel Voisin cut his teeth in the automotive industry with a rash of opulent – and occasionally unusual – luxury vehicles. The simplistic nature of the Biscooter is a far cry from, say, a C25 Aerodyne, but it was a reflection of its time. Voisin, having been forced to sell his company as a result of a weak European economy, continued tinkering with cars and emerged with the Biscooter in 1949. The minuscule car boasted basic, riveted aluminum bodywork, a sparse interior, and a 125-cc engine sourced from Gnome et
Rhône, which had merged with Voisin’s firm after his ouster. Voisin built roughly 15 Biscooters in 1949, but SNECMA – the company that controlled his former firm – had no interest in pursuing the idea. Instead, Voisin sold the design to Autonacional, a Spanish manufacturer, which went on to build some 12,000 examples.
