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Leyat 1919-1925 - the airplanes without wings

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Created in 2015

Reading time 3min

Written by:

Roger Gloor

Photos:

Bruno von Rotz

Stephan Traber

Archiv Automobil Revue

Bruno von Rotz

Stephan Traber

Archiv Automobil Revue

Leyat Hélica 2H von 1921, (Propellerantrieb, 2-Zyl.-Boxermotor, luftgekühlt, 1198 cm3, 8 PS)

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Es gab wirklich aussergewöhnliche Fahrzeuge zu bestaunen wie den Leyat Helica Open aus dem Jahre 1919. - Vintage Revival Montlhéry 2013

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Impressionen von der Rétromobile 2013 - die schnellen "Hélice" Propeller-Autos des Marcel Leyat

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Summary

There were around 10,000 car brands and designers - most of them have disappeared. Leyat is one of these brands. Marcel Leyat is probably the automobile designer who most drastically transformed the airplane into a car. In 1919, he rolled the first propeller-driven car along the Champs-Elysées to the amazement of all onlookers. He went on to produce around 20 of these vehicles until 1925.

Estimated reading time: 3min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The motorized car came before the flying machine, but after that, aircraft construction had a strong influence on automobile design in terms of aerodynamics and lightweight construction. However, no-one transformed the airplane into the car as drastically as engineer Marcel Leyat. He had given the French air force valuable impetus, and in 1919 he had his "airplane without wings" pulled by a propeller taxi along the Champs-Elysées in Paris to the great surprise of the public. The first prototype had already been built in 1913, the same year that François Garbaccio from Valais designed an amphibious car with a propeller at the rear.

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