Airplane or car? Hélica!
11/08/2012
They were extraordinary, the cars of Monsieur Marcel Leyat. A cross between an airplane and an automobile, equipped with front propellers and steered by the rear wheels. 8 hp was enough for the vehicles, which weighed around 250 kg, to be dangerously fast.
In 1927, a Hélica, as the vehicles were called, reached a top speed of 171 km/h in Monthléry. The philosopher and inventor Marcel Leyat is said to have built and sold over 20 of these vehicles between 1913 and 1926, which is hardly surprising, as they were comparatively simple, cheap to operate and offered space for two passengers.
Next year's Rétromobile, which will take place in Paris from February 6 to 10, 2013, will dedicate a retrospective to the Helica vehicles and place them in an environment inspired by the 1920s. The following models will be part of the retrospective: Hélica Berline d'origine from 1921, Hélica berline from 1921, Hélica torpedo 1919, Hélicocycle 1913, Hélica torpédo 1921 and Hélica torpedo 1921.
