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Hotchkiss-Grégoire - lightweight and aerodynamic wonder, but 20 years too early

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Created on September 27, 2020

Reading time 11min

Written by:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Archiv Gerhard Schütz

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Archiv

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Archiv Gerhard Schütz

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Archiv

77

Grégoire 2 Litres (1948) - mit aerodynamisch geformter Karosserie

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Hotchkiss-Grégoire R (1949) - auf dem ersten gemeinsamen Verkaufsprospekt

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Jean Albert Grégoire im Jahr 1956

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Jean Albert Grégoire im Alter von rund 60 Jahren

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Tracta Torpedo Sport (1930) - frontangetriebener Sportwagen nach Ideen von Grégoire

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Tracta 15 CV (1930)

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Unabhängige Vorderradaufhängung am Tracta Sport: Federung über zwei vertikale Federbeine, konzentrisch mit der Lenkachse. Die beiden horizontalen Tragrohre sind fester Teil des Chassis. Antriebswellen mit je zwei Tracta- Gleichlaufgelenken und Längenausgleich. Ganz vorne die Spurstange der Lenkung.

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Amilcar Compound (1939) - Jean-Albert Gregoire beim Abstauben seines Amilcar Compound 1939

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Amilcar Compound (1938) - Präsentation am Genfer Autosalon von 1938

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Amilcar Compound (1938) - Antriebsaggregat und Vorderachse

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Amilcar Compound (1938) - Blick auf das gegossene Chassis und die Hinterradaufhängung

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Panhard Dyna (1946) - eine frühe Limousine

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Panhard Dyna (1945) - Schnittzeichnung - geräumiges Interieur

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Panhard Dyna (1946) - Blick auf den Zweizylinder-Boxer

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Grégoire-Simca (1945) - dieser Original-Prototyp sollte von Simca in grossen Zahlen gebaut werden

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Grégoire-Simca (1945) - Silhouette

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Grégoire-Simca (1945) - der luftgekühlte Zweizylinder-Boxermotor

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Grégoire-Simca (1945) - Frontmotorbauweise und Einzelradaufhängungen rundum

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Grégoire-Simca (1945) - Blick auf das Aluchassis und den luftgekühlten Zweizylinderboxer

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Grégoire-Simca (1945) - Cabrioletlimousine mit zwei Türen

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Panhard Dyna (1950) - als Cabriolet

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Panhard Dyna (1948) - .. schnell noch ein paar Freundinnen mitnehmen

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Panhard Dyna (1947) - Limousine mit aussen angebrachtem Reserverad

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Panhard Dyna (1952) - drei Ausführungen des Fronttrieblers

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Dyna-Panhard (1950) - Strafpunktefrei fuhr Signoret, genauso wie drei seiner Kollegen, die Rallye des Alpes von 1950 ab

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1947) - Jean-Albert Grégoire mit seinem Prototypen

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1947) - aerodynamisch karossierter Prototyp

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1947) - aerodynamische Leichtbau-Limousine

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1947) - Frontansicht

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1947) - Blick auf den eingebauten Vierzylinder-Boxermotor

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1947) - Blick auf den wassergekühlten Vierzylinder-Boxermotor

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1947) - wassergekühlter Vierzylinder-Boxermotor mit dahinter angedocktem Getriebe

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1947) - Alupressteil für Chassis inkl. Frontscheibenrahmen

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1947) - Leichtmetallchassis mit eingebautem Motor

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1947) - das selbsttragende Chassis aus Aluminium

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1947) - Frontansicht ohne Karosserie

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1947) - Vorderradaufhängungen

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1947) - die einzigartige Hinterradaufhängung

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1947) - Blick auf Tank und Hinterachse des unverkleideten Chassis

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1947) - hintere Einzelradaufhängungen, Tank zwischen den Hinterrädern

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1947) - Präsentation des Prototyps am Pariser Autosalon 1947

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1947) - Präsentation am Pariser Autosalon 1947

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1947) - Interieur des unkarossierten Chassis am Pariser Autosalon 1947

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1947) - Testfahrten in Montlhéry im Oktober 1947

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1948) - bei Probefahrten

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1948) - charmant präsentiert

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1948) - in Paris, in der Nähe des Grand Palais

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1948) - Testfahren in Montlhéry im Jahr 1948

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1948) - Testfahrten in Montlhéry

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1948) - zeigt Jean-Albert Grégoire hier seinen Wagen einer Dame?

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Grégoire 2 Litres (1949) - bewundernde Blicke für das zum dritten Mal gezeigte Chassis am Pariser Autosalon 1949

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Grégoire Sport (1956) - ganz hinten, davor Vorläufer und andere Autos, denen Grégoire zum Laufen half

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Grégoire Sport (1956) - weiterentwickelte Vorderradaufhängung

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Hotchkiss-Grégoire R (1950) - am Pariser Autosalon 1950

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Hotchkiss-Grégoire - das Heck zeigt die Anleihen an den Flugzeugbau zur Verbesserung der Aerodynamik - Genfer Autosalon 1951

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Hotchkiss-Grégoire R (1950) - Armaturenbrett, gesehen am Pariser Autosalon 1950

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Hotchkiss-Grégoire R (1950) - Blick auf den Motor am Pariser Autosalon 1950

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Hotchkiss-Grégoire R (1950) - der Frontmotor am Genfer Autosalon 1950

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Hotchkiss-Grégoire R (1950) - Blick auf die vorderen Einzelradaufhängungen

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Hotchkiss-Grégoire R (1950) - bereits mit Hochkiss-Markenzeichen

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Hotchkiss-Grégoire R (1950) - frühe Aufnahme der Hotchkiss-Version noch mit drei Seitenfenstern

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Hotchkiss-Grégoire R (1950) - Heckansicht am Genfer Autosalon 1950

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Hotchkiss-Grégoire R (1950) - im Wagen sitzt der Fahrzeugentwickler Jean-Albert Grégoire

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Hotchkiss-Grégoire R (1950) - J. A. Grégoire mit seinem Prototyp

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Hotchkiss-Grégoire R (1951) - am Pariser Autosalon 1951

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Hotchkiss-Grégoire R (1952) - am Genfer Autosalon 1952, mit Preis CHF 25'000

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Hotchkiss Grégoire (1952) - serienmässiges Exemplar des in kleiner Anzahl hergestellten Hotchkiss

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Hotchkiss-Grégoire R (1952) - Blick ins Interieur am Genfer Autosalon 1952

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Hotchkiss-Grégoire (1950) - nun mit Hotchkiss-Markenzeigen - Genfer Autosalon 1950

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Hotchkiss-Grégoire R (1953) - am Pariser Autosalon 1953 als Chapron-Cabriolet

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Hotchkiss-Grégoire Cabriolet Grand Sport (1953) - Chapron-Cabriolet

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Hotchkiss-Grégoire Coach Grand Sport (1953) - als Chapron-Coupé

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Hotchkiss-Grégoire Coach Grand Sport (1953) - Chapron-Coupé

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Grégoire Sport (1956) - Jean André Grégoire am Lenkrad seines dreisitzigen Sportwagens mit Frontantrieb

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Grégoire Sport (1957) - am Pariser Autosalon 1957

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Grégoire Sport (1957) - Blick auf den Vierzylinder-Boxermotor, der die Vorderräder antreibt

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Grégoire Sport (1957) - mit Frontantrieb und Scheibenbremsen

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Grégoire Sport (1957) - Sportwagen mit verbesserter Technik des Grégoire R

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Summary

It's hard to believe that the Hotchkiss Grégoire, originally called the Grégoire R or Grégoire 2 Litres, dates back to 1947. It was based on design ideas that other brands did not put into practice until 20 or 50 years later. But it was probably a few decades too early, and above all it was too progressive and too expensive for the customers of the time. This article tells the story of the Grégoire 2 Litres and its production version Hotchkiss-Grégoire, as well as its predecessors and successors. Over 60 rare photos, some of which have not been published for decades or have never been published at all, show the model development and details, while the sparse sales literature takes a look at the commercial aspects.

This article contains the following chapters

The front-wheel drive pioneer
From Tracta to the Grégoire R
Further development of proven recipes
Aerodynamics writ large
Presentation in 1947 at the Paris Motor Show
Agreement with Hotchkiss
At the wheel
Refinements and improvements?
Too expensive
In variants
No production success
Successor as a sports car under its own name
Long developer life

Estimated reading time: 11min

Preview (beginning of the article)

It is hard to believe that the Hotchkiss Grégoire, originally called the Grégoire R or Grégoire 2 Litres, dates back to 1947. The water-cooled four-cylinder boxer engine coupled at the front and with front-wheel drive was found decades later in the Alfa Romeo Alfasud from 1971 and in the Citroën GS from 1970, while the aluminum construction was used again 50 years later in the Audi A2 or A8. And these were just two aspects of the Grégoire that were way ahead of their time. Yet it was only the logical consequence of final developments that began back in the 1920s. Jean Albert Grégoire was born in Paris on July 7, 1899. In 1917, he became French champion over 100 meters and graduated in law from the famous "Ecole Polytechnique". He was attracted to the automobile from an early age.

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