Vehicle Description
In the early days of the twentieth century, a young man named
Georges Irat was in charge of the motor fleet for Paris' main
electric utility, Compagnie G�n�rale d'�lectricit�. It was here
that he fell in love with the automobile and was inspired to build
one of his own. He incorporated Automobiles Georges Irat, SA as
early as 1914, though an actual production car did not appear until
1921. His first effort was well worth the wait, coming in the form
of a sporty, fast tourer with a 1990 c.c. overhead-valve
four-cylinder designed by ex-Delage man Maurice Gaultier. Gaultier
would later return to Delage where he was responsible for the
fabulous D8, so there was indeed no shortage of engineering talent.
Somewhat unusually for the time, the chassis, engine, and
drivetrain of the Georges Irat Model A were manufactured entirely
in-house at the Majola factory at St. Denis, leaving only the
coachwork to outside firms. Known as La Voiture de l'Elite, the
sporty and elegant Georges Irat cars enjoyed a fair bit of success
in motorsports, placing 15th at the first Le Mans 24 hour race held
in 1923, and scoring numerous wins and top ten finishes in events
across Europe. Production would gradually climb to a steady output
of 200 cars per year, with the 2-liter Model A joined by the
3.0-liter, six-cylinder 15CV model in 1928. Georges Irat would
abandon his in-house philosophy in the early 1930s when he began
using Lycoming-supplied straight-eights. Sales dropped off sharply,
and the company faced certain collapse when Godefroy et Leveque
came to the rescue with its "Ruby" engines. Georges Irat adopted
the new power unit into a light, sporty front-drive car and some
1,500 examples were sold. By the early 1940s, Georges Irat had
displayed various prototypes, but automobile production finally
ceased and the days of this esoteric French manufacturer were over.
This spectacular 1927 Georges Irat Model A is one of the finest
examples of the marque extant, bodied by the great Marcel Pourtout
by special request of a Parisian Jeweler named Monsieur Veger.
Magnificently styled, it is appropriately jewel-like in its
detailing. Business must have been quite good for Veger, as this
very special Georges Irat cost him an astonishing 135,000 Francs,
which is eighteen times that of a contemporary Citroen 7CV. When
new, this car was displayed by either Georges Irat or by Monsieur
Veger at the Paris Salon in 1927. There, it caught the eye of a
young aviator named Jean F. Charpentier, who was enrolled at the
Bleriot School training to become a military pilot. He was so taken
by the fabulous shape of the Pourtout coachwork, he nicknamed the
car "Georgette," and her image was burned into his memory. Many
years later, while driving through Paris in his two-liter Ballot (a
rapid car in its own right), Charpentier was overtaken by a
fast-moving and fetching little sports touring car. With piqued
curiosity, he tried to keep up, but even in his Ballot, the mystery
car proved too quick. Frustratingly, the sightings continued, but
each time, Charpentier could not keep up with the beautiful car.
Finally, he happened upon an open garage where he recognized the
familiar shape and stopped to investigate. To his amazement, Jean
realized it was Georgette that he had been chasing this whole time.
Upon speaking to the owner, he discovered the Georges Irat was for
sale, and he immediately made a deal on the spot to purchase it.
The Pourtout body had suffered somewhat in the Paris traffic and at
the hands of enthusiastic drivers, but Charpentier was determined
to return it to its former glory. The history file contains a
delightful letter from Charpentier that both details its early
history and describes the sheer joy he got from restoring this
extraordinary car. Newly married to a beautiful woman, and with his
fabulous automobile, Jean Charpentier was on top of the world. In
the 1950s, Charpentier moved to Akron, Ohio to work for the
Goodyear Aviation Company. Georgette remained in France, and he
sadly sold her in 1960. Subsequent owners are all noted in the
files, and in the early 1990s, the car appeared at the Imperial
Palace auction where the highly respected collector Noel Thompson
acquired it. While in Mr. Thompson's care, the Georges Irat
received a full concours-level restoration by Steve Babinsky's
renowned New Jersey-based shop, Automotive Restorations. The newly
restored Georges Irat debuted at the 1995 Pebble Beach Concours
d'Elegance where it earned a class award. In the hands of its next
keeper, Alan Melchoir, it repeated its performance with another
class award in 2005. As the only Georges Irat registered with the
CCCA, it was featured on the cover of the spring 2006 issue of The
Classic Car. Now with a recently freshened restoration, the Georges
Irat presents in an evocative black livery highlighted by a bright
red chassis and wheels. M. Pourtout's stunning coachwork is
beautifully constructed, with excellent fit and finish. The styling
is exquisitely balanced, the body's high beltline and impossibly
low windscreen lending it undeniable presence. The wheel discs,
fitted trunk, and twin rear-mounted spare wheels further enhance
the low and graceful profile. Details include beautiful Lucidus
headlamps, polished nickel radiator shell, "Radiax" Motometer-style
temperature gauge, and polished door and bonnet hinges that subtly
contrast against the black paintwork. Jewel-like detailing
continues in the cabin, which features beautiful saddle-tan leather
seats and sunburst-pattern door panels. Gorgeous burl-wood trim
adorns the dash top and repeats on the door caps and even the
side-window surrounds. Finely restored instruments are nestled an
engine-turned alloy fascia. The freshly refurbished black fabric
roof contributes to that purposeful, almost sinister look of the
coachwork, making it easy to see why Jean Charpentier was so taken
by this fabulous automobile. A two-time Pebble Beach class winner
and CCCA National First Prize winner, this Georges Irat is arguably
the finest of its kind in existence. The well-documented history is
complete with numerous letters from Monsieur Charpentier, as well
as feature magazine articles, ownership documents, service
information, and Georges Irat marque history. This represents a
one-off opportunity to acquire a truly breathtaking machine from
the most glamorous period in French motoring history.
