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A brazilian C22
 
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, beginning of the 30s, Roberto Marinho, press baron millionaire and amateur of beautiful cars, acquires an exceptional automobile.

His choice, dictated by circumstances (?) went on an Avions-Voisin, more exactly a C22, arrived in Brazil "in the luggage" of a rich French immigrant.

In this very warm country - and the situation is doubtless worse in the big city than is Rio de Janeiro ( 2 million inhabitants in 1933) - the engine six cylinders of the Voisin has a net tendency to the overheating. So one add two chrome-plated side radiators as well as of additional air inlets in the car.

Regrettably these equipments will not solve the problems, and the car will continue to suffer from the Brazilian climate.

   

Our man is also amateur of competition and however surprising it appears, he engages his car for an attempt of speed record on "launched kilometer" in the passenger cars category.

And on September 24th, 1933, by a cloudy weather, his friend, mechanic and press photographer Antônio Lopes Gasparà says "Nico" at his sides, he reaches 144kmh on the road Rio-Petropolis, breaking the record!

The smile of the winner
 

This car was also used sometimes as a professional vehicle by his co-pilot of the record, from whom we got the confirmation of the type of the automobile.

And it is during a travel, on a mountain road, that the car will show its limits, extremely overheated, the sleeve vlaves system, adopted by Gabriel Voisin, melted!

The car will be repatriated in Rio, parts ordered via the embassy of France arrived after six months. The engine, unsettled, will still expect patiently for
a few months before being in service.

   

But Mr Marinho has the other "toys" in its garage (Cadillac, Lancia, La Salle), and doubtless he grew tired of his capricious sleeve valves.

What happen then to this car? It adorned likely that she was "recycled" during WW II, the fact is that an all aluminum body had to attract many greeds in this period of general shortage. A sad end for one of the jewels of the automobile history...


NB : NB: in July, 2003, the new period photos illustrating this page and certain suppositions had incited me (with others) to believe that this car was a C20 33CV V-12. Thanks to the tenacity of Jason V. and to the testimony of the friend, and mechanic of Roberto Marinho, regrettably disappeared since, whose memory was very sure, we can finally know the truth on this "Brazilian" surprising C22.
 
Obrigado Jason & Antônio Lopes Gaspar "Nico"

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