Pebble Beach preview (update III: 'the youngest')

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The concourse season is getting near. The car shown here will flatten the green seaside lawns at Pebble Beach , a 1912 specimen of the illustruous Gobron-Brillié with ultimately exotic French vintage engineering. Owner Ron Elenbaas tells:"This car was on display at the 1913 Paris Auto Show (any photos around of the car then?). The engine is a 4 cylinder with 8 opposing pistons, creating the firing zone in the middle of the cylinder. It is incredibly smooth and vibration free. I was told that the car was fitted with this skiff style body by Messrs. J. Rothschild et fils (more known about this coachbuilder?). It showed up again in 1924 with less than 200 miles on it. It spent several years on display in the lobby of a chocolate maker in Luxembourg (which one?). The car was next in possession by the German Army (Wehrmacht). They seized the car to examine the engine and this design was incorporated into the Junkers fighter aircraft. The car then went to the Hucke Museum. It was purchased by a Paris owner, restored, then sold to me a couple of years ago. I have kept the car under wraps, going through the engine and it will go to Pebble Beach in August. Any confirmation or additional info on the car is appreciated. Engine # 775 Serial # 44 150 (coachwork nr.?), Chassis # (?) 920. About the woodwork: I don't know for sure but it appears to contain mahogany and maybe some oak. Thanks for any help!" [email protected]

UPDATE: We just have been informed that the very nice Concours d'Elegance at Schloss Schwetzingen will defintely take place. Next week more English text will be added to the website, but if you click the German navigation you will find what you need in English as well. Go Schloss Schwetzingen

UPDATE II: several messages came in: first of all Fons Alkemade who is correcting us in the name of the brand which is Gobron-Brillié. Thank you Fons, shame on us... Second Glenn Mounger - co chariman of Pebble Beach - wrote to us: " will be part of a small (6 car) class of original skiff bodied cars. This year's Pebble Beach Concours will also feature Alfa Romeo (8 classes & 60 cars), Pininfarina 75th anniversary, and the 100th year celebration of Delage." Finally Stephen McCann (UK):"The VCC records show that the car was in the Raffay collection in Germany and listed as belonging to the Raffay collection." (it is not known when this was exactly)

UPDATE III: Fons Alkemade (French car historian) writes:"There are not many surviving Gobron-Brilliés and it seems that this survivor is the youngest. The museum in Sinsheim, Germany, has a 1908 model and Beaulieu had a 1907 model. In Great Britain a 1912 15/20 hp model with limousine body survives. For 1913 I can find two models in the catalogues: the M4 of 12cv with 4 cylinders of 75 x 150 mm and the M5 of 16cv with 4 cylinders of 80 x 160 mm. A description and photo of the 1913 Gobron stand at the Paris Salon can be found in journals of the period like Der Motorwagen (vol.16, p. 864), La Nature (vol. 41, p. 379) or Omnia (vol. 8, p. 713). A description of a 1913 Gobron model (at the moment I can’t find out which one) can be found in La Vie Automobile (vol. 13, p. 695)."

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