100 years of Swiss coachwork

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1914
Piccard, Pictet & Cie (Pic-Pic)



Notable: The chassis and body were built in Geneva. In its day called the "Swiss Rolls-Royce", very few Pic-Pic are still in existence. The M4 had the biggest engine.
A Swiss quality product from Geneva
Founded in 1904, SAG (Societé d'Automobiles ? Gen?ve) produced 165 chassis under licence from Mark Birgkit until 1910; it was later taken over by Piccard, Pictet & Cie. Repeated racing wins translated directly to strong sales. By 1913, the company had built 332 cars, many of which sold internationally (21 went to Rio de Janeiro alone).
The company entered two cars in the ACF Grand Prix. They did not finish, but scored the fastest lap of 94 km/h. The start of World War I in 1914 led to faltering sales and the eventual demise of the company.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

Type: M4

Year: 1914

Chassis: Piccard, Pictet & Cie., Genf

Body: Gangloff, Genf

Engine: 4 cylinder, 4300 ccm

Power: 20/30 HP

V Max: 170 km/h

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1924
Salmson Wenger



Notable: The sports racer, Salmson Grand Sport L, was built by Carrosserie Wenger of Basle for hill climb racing, and is still used by family members for that purpose.
Emile Salmson founded his company in 1919 in Billancourt. His extremely lightweight racers were especially suited for cyclecar-racing. Family members of coach manufacturer, Wenger, raced their Salmson at local and international hill climbs.
After the war, Salmson switched to producing passenger cars. Renault bought the assets when he went out of business in 1957.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

Type: Grand Sport L

Year: 1924

Chassis: Salmson

Body: Carrosserie Wenger, Basle

Engine: 4 cylinder, 1100 ccm

Power: ca. 20 HP

V Max: 80 km/h

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1933
Vauxhall Cabriolet Gygax



Notable: This Vauxhall with a custom body by Gygax of Biel was shown at the 1933 Geneva Auto Show
The British make Vauxhall was founded in 1857 as the successor to a London ship engine company. It is based in Luton (GB). Vauxhall garnered international notice with the racing success of the model "Prince Henry". An influential figure for the company was chief engineer Laurence Pomeroy.
In 1927, the company was absorbed by General Motors. Opel cars are still sold as Vauxhall in Great Britain.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

Type: ASX LD

Year: 1933

Chassis: Vauxhall

Body: Carrosserie Gygax, Biel

Engine: 6 cylinder, 1782 cc

Power: ca. 15 HP

V Max: ca. 80 km/h

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1947
Delahaye Cabriolet Graber



Notable: The Delahaye 135 is represented on the CHF 1 postage stamp for the 100 year anniversary of the Geneva Auto Show.
Emil Delahaye founded his company in 1895, building mainly trucks and fire engines. The company boosted its great reputation before World War II with racing success in Pau and Le Mans.
The great coach builders like Figoni & Falaschi, Saoutchik, Chapron, and Antem created spectacular cars based on Delahaye.
In Switzerland, the chassis from 10, Rue du Banquier in Paris received bodies from Langenthal, Worblaufen and the special "Graber lines" of Hermann Graber. Graber Delahaye were represented on the title pages of the Catalogue of "Automobile Revue" in 1948 and 1949, published in conjunction with the opening of the Geneva Show.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

Type: 135 M

Year: 1947

Chassis: Delahaye (F)

Body: Hermann Graber (Wichtrach)

Engine: 6 cylinder, 3447 cc

Power: 110 HP

V Max: 150 km/h

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1948
Lancia Cabriolet Langenthal



Notable: TCarrosserie Langenthal realized several body styles based on the Lancia chassis. The company is still active today.
Das Chassis des Lancia Aprilia eignete sich besonders für den Aufbau von Spezial-Carrosserien. Vor allem Pinina Farina war bei der Carrossierung dieses Chassis das führende Unternehmen. Zahlreiche Chassis kamen per Bahn aber auch in die Schweiz, wo sie zum Beispiel bei Beutler und Worblaufen ein spezielles Äusseres erhielten.
Langenthal hatte schon vor dem Krieg mit Cabriolets auf Aprilia Chassis begonnen. Am Salon in Genf war dann immer wieder Gelegenheit, die neuesten Kreationen nach dem neuesten Publikumsgeschmack zu präsentieren – immer in der Hoffnung, mit vollen Auftragsbüchern heimzukehren.


TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

Type: Aprilia

Year: 1948

Chassis: Lancia

Body: Carrosserie Langenthal

Engine: 4 cylinder, 1486 ccm

Power: 48 HP

V Max: 125 km/h

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1952
Bentley Cabriolet Graber



Notable: This convertible by Hermann Graber graced the title page of the "Catalogue of Automobile Revue" 1951.
Bentley had great success in the early years and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans five times. The company was taken over by Rolls-Royce in 1931. Bentley founder W.O. (Walter Owen) Bentley became chief engineer for Lagonda, contributing to the makes' reputation.
Hermann Graber was the most prolific builder of custom Bentleys on the European continent, creating 35 Bentleys in Wichtrach BE.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

Type: MK VI

Year: 1952

Chassis: Bentley

Body: Hermann Graber, Wichtrach

Engine: 6 cylinder, 4566 cc

Power: not avaliable ("sufficient")

V Max: 150 km/h

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1952
MG Ghia – Aigle



Notable: 1952 Ghia-Aigle exhibited a model of this type at the Geneva Auto Show.
Noted Italian designers such as Michelotti and Frua created bodies for Carrosserie Ghia-Aigle of Aigle (later of Lugano) based on chassis from Jaguar, MG, Panhard, Ferrari, Bugatti and others.
Best examples of the style of the Ghia-Aigle by these designers were the coupes and convertibles based on the Alfa Romeo 1900.
A convertible based on the MG TD 21 was shown at the Geneva Auto Show 1952.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

Type: TD

Year: 1952

Chassis: MG

Body: Ghia-Aigle, Aigle

Engine: 4 cylinder, 1275 ccm

Power: 63 HP

V Max: 120 km/h

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1955
Alfa Romeo Cabriolet Worblaufen



Notable: The convertible was shown at the 1956 Geneva Auto Show on the Alfa Romeo stand
Alfa Romeo 1900 SS Cabriolet Worblaufen
The business relationship between Alfa Romeo and Carrosserie Worblaufen had been established for some twenty years by the time Worblaufen presented several Alfa Romeos 1900 coupes and convertibles in the 1950s. The Swiss company reflected strongly the designs of Touring and Pininfarina, but was able to keep its own personality.
This car graced the exhibit of Worblaufen at the Geneva Show of 1955.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

Type: 1900 SS

Year: 1955

Chassis: Alfa Romeo

Body: Carrosserie Worblaufen, Fritz Ramseier & Cie.

Engine: 4 cylinder, 1975 cc

Power: 115 HP

V Max: 170 km/h

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1959
VW Porsche Beutler Coupe



Notable: This was the personal car of Ernst Beutler, who kept driving it until the 1990s.
The brothers Beutler of Thun started building their custom cars using chassis from Porsche and Volkswagen. Their proposals for a 2+2 coupe based on the 356 drew international notice, including from Stuttgart. This model with a VW chassis used several components from Porsche, e.g. brakes and engine. Beutler Bros. repeatedly presented their work based on VW / Porsche at the Geneva Auto Show.
Ernst Beutler used this car personally up to the 1990s.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

Type: 1600

Year: 1959

Chassis: Volkswagen

Body: Carrosserie Ernst & Fritz Beutler, Thun (CH)

Engine: 4 cylinder 1600 ccm, Porsche

Power: 90 HP

V Max: 150 km/h