Voiture Excentrique
It represents the height of automotive eccentricity: A range of French developed, electrically driven retromods inspired by 1930s-style roadsters and race cars that can be registered as a quadricycle in its home country. Alas, while capable of reaching a top speed of 120 km/h, it may not be driven on freeways.
Welcome to the iconoclastic world of Devinci. It is the brainchild of Jean-philippe Dayraut, a French ice-racing champion who has won the Andros Trophy ice-racing championship four times, developed the Mitjet silhouette race cars and is manager of the Circuit d’albi close to Toulouse.
In 2017 Dayraut established Devinci Cars in Saint-sulpice-la-pointe, France, investing close to R6,4 million in a manufacturing plant to give form to his vision of automotive nirvana: “A brand of unique, exclusive electric vehicles with fantastic handling and a retro look.”
With a design inspired by the Bugatti 35 race cars, Miller Indycars and Morgan roadsters of the 1930s, the small, bespoke two-seaters feature intricate independent racing-style suspension consisting of pushrods and coil-over shocks.
This seems a bit over-the-top for a car with a rear-mounted electric motor fed by either a small 15.3 kwh battery (providing it with a 150 km range) or a bigger 23 kwh one that’s good for 230 km that can only reach a top speed of only 110 km/h. However, according to Dayraut, the true Devinci experience lies in the handling and driving capabilities of the retromods, aided by Ohlin shocks (on the top models) and specially commissioned Michelin Pilot X tyres.
The first Devinci model was the DB 417, produced in 2018. The company claims all 30 units – that cleverly took advantage of France’s sans permis homologation rules to make it possible to be driven in the city without a driver’s licence – were sold. The DB 417 served as base for the latest Devinci DB 718 (only the headlights and grille are different).
Four Trim Levels
The small roadster stands only 1.27 m high. 3.91 m long and 1.85 m wide, and is light, weighing only 500 kg (without additional personalised kit). It is now available in four trim levels, affectionately
called Brigitte, Lucy, Adèle and Marianne. Options for customisation include colours, number stickers, two different wheel rims, leather upholstery, two different steering wheels, and various other options and accessories, including bespoke luggage sets and personalised engraved chassis number.
Produced in left-hand drive form only, the entry-level Brigitte is limited to 50 units and is offered from €53,500 (over R860,000, excluding taxes). Even while expensive, more than 40 of the bespoke rétro électrique vehicles have already been sold. A total of 45 of the mid-spec Lucy were built and only nine were still available at the time of writing.
Only five of the top-of-the-line Adèle derivatives (recently superseded by the Marianne), available at €99,900 (more than R1,6 million) per unit, were produced. Of these, only one is left, while three of the similarly exclusive Marianne versions are still available.
In order to further market his eccentric creations, Dayraut acquired the services of his Finnish friend and fellow racer Ari Vatanen, a former WRC champion and fourtime Dakar Rally winner, who owns a farm and winery in the same area of France.
As brand ambassador for Devinci, Vatanen is intimately involved in the development and fine-tuning of the French boutique car builder’s retro electric voiture range. Strange, but true. And it seems to be working, as the company shifted over 100 Classic DB 718 EVS last year.
Still, one cannot but wonder why anyone would be interested in buying a retrostyled, electrically driven two-seat roadster with limited road usage for the same kind of money one would fork out for a fast and formidable normal coupé. Well, it seems Dayraut’s eccentric retro-electric cars do appeal to some well-heeled customers with an unusual and eclectic taste in cars and art.