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SOCÉMA-Gregoire - Just hot air?

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Created on January 25, 2022

Text:

Paul Krüger

Photos:

Bruno von Rotz

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Franquin / Dupuis

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Archiv

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Bruno von Rotz

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Franquin / Dupuis

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Archiv

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Socema Grégoire (1952) - with turbine drive - one kerosene-powered rotor, Cotal gearbox - 200 km/h thanks to cw 0.19 - Rétromobile 2015

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SOCEMA-Grégoire (1952) - Contemporary illustration

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SOCEMA-Grégoire (1952) - At the Paris Salon 1952

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SOCEMA-Grégoire (1952) - The day before the Paris Salon, October 1, 1952

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SOCEMA-Grégoire (1952) - At the Paris Salon

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SOCEMA-Grégoire (1952) - At the Paris Salon

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SOCEMA-Grégoire (1952) - Press photo of the finished prototype

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SOCEMA-Grégoire (1952) - Press photo with "test driver" at the wheel

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SOCEMA-Grégoire (1952) - model for the "Turbot-Rhino" from Spirou and Fantasio

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SOCEMA-Grégoire (1952) - Press photo

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SOCEMA-Grégoire (1952) - The "Cematurbo" turbine in an experimental chassis

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SOCEMA-Grégoire (1952) - The turbine on the test bench

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SOCEMA-Grégoire (1952) - The "Cématurbo" engine. The 24V starter at the top, next to it the two upper combustion chambers.

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SOCEMA-Grégoire (1952) - Sectional drawing

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Socema Grégoire (1952) - with turbine drive - one kerosene-powered rotor, Cotal gearbox - 200 km/h thanks to cw 0.19 - Rétromobile 2015

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Turbot-Rhino 1 (1955) - Based on the SOCÉMA-Grégoire

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1947) - Jean-Albert Grégoire with his prototype

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Summary

At the beginning of the 1950s, an aircraft manufacturer and an ingenious designer joined forces to build the first French car with a turbine engine. The SOCÉMA-Grégoire not only looked like it was from the year 2000, it was also supposed to be capable of speeds in excess of 200 km/h. Unfortunately, it was never allowed to show what it could do and disappeared into insignificance shortly after its premiere. This article tells the story of the SOCÉMA-Grégoire and shows it in historical photographs.

This article contains the following chapters

Help from outside
A V8 for testing
Premiere in Paris
New and unused

Estimated reading time: 5min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Around 1950, the gas turbine was seen as the drive of the future for automobiles. After Rover in England and Chrysler and General Motors in the USA had built the first turbine-powered cars, the French also wanted to try their hand at the new drive technology. The initiator of the project was Paul Piaton, Chairman of the "Compagnie Électro-Méchanique" (CEM), which manufactured generators, electric motors and transformers as well as steam turbines. CEM, which was mainly a supplier for railroad construction, also included the "Société de Constructions et d'Équipements Mécaniques pour l'Aviation" (SOCÉMA), which was responsible for aviation technology and therefore had experience in the construction of gas turbines.

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