Sensaud de Lavaud
Encyclopedia
The Sensaud de Lavaud was a French
automobile
manufactured between 1926 and 1928. An unusual car, made in Paris
by M. Dimitri Sensaud de Lavaud, a Brazilian, it had automatic transmission
. The Alpax chassis
was cast alloy, and it was powered by a steam-cooled 5475 cc six-cylinder engine
of American
origin. Few were built.
André Citroën
had intended to use a gearbox based on Sensaud de Lavaud's principles in his 1934-launched Citroën Traction Avant
7A, but it proved impossible for his engineers to make the car's little engine, only 1300cc, coupled with Sensaud de Lavaud's invention, that is, a transmission relying solely on the converter's torque multiplication (like GM's much latter Dynaflow
) to accelerate the vehicle and maintain acceptable speeds uphill, so the 7A appeared with a conventional 3-speed unit.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
manufactured between 1926 and 1928. An unusual car, made in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
by M. Dimitri Sensaud de Lavaud, a Brazilian, it had automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
. The Alpax chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
was cast alloy, and it was powered by a steam-cooled 5475 cc six-cylinder engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
origin. Few were built.
André Citroën
André Citroën
André-Gustave Citroën was a French industrialist. He is remembered chiefly for the make of car named after him, but also for his application of double helical gears.- Life and career :...
had intended to use a gearbox based on Sensaud de Lavaud's principles in his 1934-launched Citroën Traction Avant
Citroën Traction Avant
The Citroën Traction Avant is an automobile which was produced by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1934 to 1957. About 760,000 units were produced.-Impact on the world:...
7A, but it proved impossible for his engineers to make the car's little engine, only 1300cc, coupled with Sensaud de Lavaud's invention, that is, a transmission relying solely on the converter's torque multiplication (like GM's much latter Dynaflow
Dynaflow
Dynaflow was the trademark name for a type of automatic transmission developed and built by General Motors' Buick Motor Division from the late 1940s to the mid 1963...
) to accelerate the vehicle and maintain acceptable speeds uphill, so the 7A appeared with a conventional 3-speed unit.