1953 Hotchkiss Gregoire

Offered by Osenat | Fontainebleau, France | July 2024

Jean-Albert Gregoire was a French car designer responsible for the likes of the Amilcar Compound and Panhard Dyna. He was a big proponent of a front-wheel-drive layout, and in 1947, he debuted a car called the Gregoire R at the Paris Motor Show. Lacking backing to build it himself, he partnered with Hotchkiss to put it into production.

But, like the Amilcar Compound, people just weren’t read for this. It had a lightweight chassis that made use of aluminum, a front-mounted 2.2-liter flat-four that made 75-80 horsepower, front-wheel drive, and independent suspension.

Launched in 1950, the Gregoire would only be produced for a short time – until 1953, with just 247 examples completed, 235 of those being four-door sedans. Hotchkiss tried a last-ditch effort with coupes, cabriolets, and coachbuilt models, but it wasn’t enough. Passenger car production ceased completely for the company in 1955.

This example was restored in the 2000s and has an estimate of $21,000-$27,000. Click here for more info.