1928 OMEGA-SIX COMPÉTITION 3 LITRES CHÂSSIS COURT

Lot 25
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Estimation :
400000 - 500000 EUR
1928 OMEGA-SIX COMPÉTITION 3 LITRES CHÂSSIS COURT
° French registration title Chassis n°803 Only survivor of the brand Sold with the second surviving 6-cylinder engine History linked to Hellé Nice, star of the Roaring Twenties, nuded dancer and “the fastest woman in the world” Ex Pozzoli, never seen since 50 years Interesting and intelligent alternative to the Bugatti Type 43A Gabriel Daubeck (Daubech in civil status) had a life of a novel. Born in 1879 in the countryside of Correze, this mise - rable, almost illiterate sawyer became one of the richest men in France after making a deal with the powerful Chemins de Fer du Nord to supply them with the sleepers needed to rebuild the network after the First World War. His rapid wealth and the carefree spirit of the Roaring Twenties led him to live a high lifestyle and to rub shoulders with the most prominent figures of the time. It is said that he was friends with Ettore Bugatti, who advised him to build his own car. He hired one of the most talented engineers of the time, Eugène Marius Gadoux, who had been deputy technical director at Hispano-Suiza, and who ran the famous Compagnie Industrielle des Moteurs à Explosion (CIME), the main subcontractor to French car manufacturers. Omega-Six was launched in September 1922, just one month before the Type A was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, with a striking slogan: “The first French car built in precious steel”! Its radiator, very similar in shape to that of the Hispano-Suiza, and its 2-liter OHC engine attracted connoisseurs. The model did not evolve much, and it was not until the 1928 Show that a real “range” was unveiled, including the 3 Litre Competition Short Chassis. This car won the Grand Prix Féminin de Montlhéry in 1929, in the hands of the “fastest woman in the world”, Hellé Nice, a former nude dancer, world star, and then a racing driver, notably on Bugatti and Alfa-Romeo. After this success, the brand, which did not shine in competition (notably abandoning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924 and 1925), disappeared in 1932, following the bankruptcy of the company. Daubech did not commit suicide as Serge Pozzoli claims in the Fanatique de l’Automobile; he died in a Parisian psychiatric hospital in 1945, as a result of syphilis that had rendered him insane... Count Robert de Ganay, a distinguished gent - leman driver who was to be found at the foot of the podium at the 1931 24 Hours of Le Mans (pseudonym Henri Trebor, entered in the LorraineDietrich No. 9), bought a 3 Litre Competition model (perhaps Hellé Nice’s car?) which he had re-bodied, probably in 1930, as a sublime roadster. This car is still regularly entered in competitions, notably at Montlhéry, where it has the best time until the 1950s on the Cote Lapize course. It was then bought by Gabriel Lascaut, a garage owner at the Porte d’Orléans, who some - time lent it to one of his customers and friends, Fernand Hyniot. It is from Lascaut that Serge Pozzoli, pope of the automobile of collection in France, buys it in 1960, with a second tourism 2.650cc engine. The car was restored by Albert Leblond, Pozzoli’s regular mechanic, who used this sublime and powerful roadster all his life. According to his relatives, it was his favorite car. It was only after his death that the current owner was able to acquire this piece of history, with the second engine that still accompanies it to this day. With a known history from the beginning and only four owners since it left the factory, this authentic race car re-bodied in period into a very elegant roadster will seduce a demanding enthusiast. Rarely seen since the 1970s, and never presented in concours, it will be able to claim with its beau - tiful design, typical of the 1930s, and its incredible history, the most beautiful awards at the most prized events. Its first-rate performance, identical to that of a Bugatti Type 43 A for example, will also allow its future owner to compete, why not, in historic competitions, notably at Le Mans Classic. The second engine, which ran about ten years ago in the car, is included in the sale.
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