Chassis 2718

• Faithful recreation of the 1922 Strasbourg Grand Prix-winning C3 S
• Built by noted Voisin enthusiast Philipp Moch using a C5 chassis frame and reportedly numerous factory components
• Displayed at the 2006 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and driven on the Tour d’Elegance
• Knight sleeve-valve power and competition-style setup offer a uniquely engaging driving experience

Among the many remarkable automobiles conceived by Gabriel Voisin, the C3 Strasbourg stands out as one of the most important of his early competition designs. Developed as a more focused evolution of the standard C3, the Strasbourg featured its inline four-cylinder engine mounted lower in the chassis to improve handling, while the body was pared down to the minimum dimensions permitted by the regulations. The result was a narrow, highly purposeful torpedo with elongated running boards and unmistakable competition intent.

The design proved its worth immediately, as at the 1922 ACF Grand Prix de Tourisme in Strasbourg, Voisin entered four C3 Strasbourg cars. The team delivered a remarkable result, finishing first, second, third, and fifth. The lessons learned from the C3 would subsequently influence the development of the C5, making the Strasbourg an important link in the evolution of Voisin’s early automobiles.

Unfortunately, none of the original C3 Strasbourg racers are known to survive today. That absence gives this recreation particular significance. Rather than replacing an extant historic car, it serves to fill a genuine gap in the surviving record and offers a tangible interpretation of one of Gabriel Voisin’s most consequential competition machines.

This example was created by noted Voisin enthusiast Philipp Moch and was built using a later C5 chassis frame together with other reportedly genuine factory components. The car was configured to replicate the Strasbourg-winning machine driven by Rougier, with careful attention paid to the distinctive proportions, trim details, and finishes that defined the original.

Following completion, the Voisin was displayed at the 2006 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and also participated in the Tour d’Elegance, demonstrating that it was conceived as more than a static showpiece. In 2010 it joined the Mullin Collection, where it was displayed alongside other significant Voisin road and competition cars.

Its mechanical specification adds greatly to the appeal. The car uses a Knight sleeve-valve engine, an arrangement closely associated with Voisin and one of the marque’s most distinctive engineering features. Combined with the competition-style chassis setup, the engine gives the car an unusual and intriguing driving character quite unlike that of most conventional sporting cars of the period.

Today, chassis 2718 presents as a fascinating and highly evocative recreation of a lost competition landmark. The narrow bodywork, exposed mechanical character, and period-correct detailing capture the austere functionality of the original Strasbourg racers, while the car’s mechanical fitness makes it equally compelling from behind the wheel.

With no original C3 Strasbourg examples surviving, this car offers something particularly rare: the opportunity to experience a crucial chapter of Voisin history that would otherwise exist only in photographs and period accounts. Faithfully executed, historically informed, and proven through both concours display and road use, it stands as a compelling tribute to one of Gabriel Voisin’s most important early designs.

Offers welcome and trades considered.

$229,500

Stock number 8171