General Motors, Dalahaye, Renault and Citroën are just some of the major car and truck manufacturers Philippe Charbonneaux has worked for worldwide. During his career as a designer and developer, he created many exceptional models such as the Chevrolet Corvette in 1953, the Dalahaye 235 or the Renault 8 and 16.
For the Rétromobile in Paris, which takes place from February 3 - 7, 2016, reason enough to celebrate this brilliant designer with a special exhibition. Many of his prototypes, including the Wimmle, the extraordinary Pathé-Marconi truck and many of his original sketches, will be on display.
Even at a young age, Philippe Charbonneaux spent much of his time drawing cars, much to the chagrin of his parents. But Philippe stuck to his passion, with success. Even after the Second World War, he was regularly allowed to design the covers of the well-known French magazines "Sciences et Vie" and "Le Monde Illustré".
Steep career
In 1946, he began his career at the car manufacturer Dalahaye. There he worked with the legendary driver Jean-Pierre Wimille on a design for the prototype of a revolutionary aerodynamic car. He then went to the USA in 1949, where he produced the first sketches for the body of the famous 1953 Chevrolet Corvette, making a decisive contribution to its development.
Back in France, Charbonneaux developed the new "pontoon" style body for the Dalahaye Model 235 in 1950. Ten years later, he worked for Renault, designing the bodies for the Renault 6 and Renault 16.
He later worked for Citroën, where he also developed many exceptional models. The "Pathé-Marconi" truck deserves special mention here. He was also responsible for the bodies of many public transport vehicles, such as buses, airport vehicles, fire engines and military trucks.
But Philippe Charbonneaux's interests went far beyond automobiles, as he was also interested in many other areas of the modern world. During his career, he also designed freeways, buildings, handling equipment, boats, household appliances, toothbrushes, toys, alarm clocks, televisions and much more.
Creative heritage
With this exhibition, the Rétromobile presents a legacy full of creative and revolutionary ideas from the 60-year career of a very extraordinary man. Philippe Charbonneaux's creations and inventions, many of which still exist today, will be presented by his son Hervé.
If you would like to attend, you can do so on Wednesday from 10 am to 10 pm and on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm. Tickets are available on the website for 16 euros or on site for 18 euros. Admission is free for children under the age of 12.
Further information can be found on the Retromobile website.
