Michel Paul-Cavallier

A biography would make interesting reading on this French industrialist and only foreign board member of SEFAC and first owner of some unique Ferrari's :

- 1954 s/n 0368 AM 375 MM PF Berlinetta
- 1955 s/n 0594 CM 410 Sport
- 1961 s/n 2311 SA with California Spyder body style
- 1963 s/n 4561 SA with GTO body style

However there is little I can find on the internet besides that he was the owner of the Pont a Musson transmission company, living at chateau de gentilly ( near Paris ) and involved with Facel does anybody have some period pictures of this unique person or more information to share, did he actually have even more unique cars ? etc

 

Correct name is Michel Paul-Cavallier. Michel is the first name.
Michel Paul-Cavallier, of Pont-à-Mousson, France.
See detailed story in the "Club Ferrari France" magazine, issue #32 of 1998.
Mr. Paul-Cavallier was on the board of managers of SEFAC SpA since the foundation 23 May 1960.
He also owned 340 America Coupé Ghia #0148 A which was originally white. See also "Cavallino" magazine, issue #184, of August/September 2011.

Marcel Massini

 

thank you mr. massini just ordered cavallino issue no 32 club ferrari france will be more difficult to get ! Anybody got a picture of the gentleman with one of his cars ?

 

Marcel have always wondered why he had 2311 SA with RHD?

Did he spend a lot of time in the UK? Did PM have a factory in England?

Best regards, John

 

pre war all great cars were RHD , read some were that the gentleman prefered RHD reffering to pre war Bugatti's anyway remains strange that there is very little info on him my french is not great believe his 375 mm had a 375 f1 engine ?, he must have had a special relation with Enzo given the fantastic automobiles he had.

 

All true, as I had basically imagined...

Thanks!

 

On the subject of 4561SA I have seen it variously described as a Superamerica type chassis fitted with a GTO body and also as having a proper GTO chassis lengthened by 5cm at Cavalier's request as he was very tall and wanted more legroom. Can anyone confirm one way or the other?
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Although a significant French industrialist of the 50 and 60s , M.P-C was not the "owner" of Pont a Mousson , even though he might have own some shares, but the Manager ( president and CEO) as the company was public for decades. It is today part of Saint Gobain PM conglomerate.
And yes, out of topic for FC, the company produced an engine for the Facellia, which some say was responsible for the demise of the company as the exchange of engine under warranty claims, created huge losses while then company was trying, to survive , to diversify from the car for the uber affluent ( Facel HK and Facel 2)

As much as he was an important French industrialist of the 50 and 60 he was not the owner of Pont a Mousson, a public company

 

In looking for paint colors to use I came across serial#0148A, the Ghia-bodied 340 America in Cavallino issue #184. The color combo looks great. It appears to be a non metallic blue. Does anybody have any information on this color?

 

2311SA was originally built for racing purposes and also has an oversized gas tank and outside fuller cap. Back then the routes of most race tracks were heavy on right turns, a RHD would provide a better weight distribution in those turns. Ironically the car has no race history at all (maybe some private spins). Being a RHD it can be easily distinguished from a pack of 250 Calis which were all delivered in LHD.

 

Any proof for this? Where could it have raced succesfully in 1961 - even in theory? Race cars being RHD has nothing to do with weight distribution; it's all about the driver being able to see into a curve.

 

Well there's absolutely no point in driving an RHD car that is fitted with a quick fill gas cap on public roads in a LHD country. Where could it have raced successfully, who knows, hill climbs, private racing.

Race cars being RHD has nothing to do with weight distribution; it's all about the driver being able to see into a curve.

Um if the track is driven in a clockwise direction, sitting on the right side would limit your vision in said curves...

 

There was a time when driving a RHD in a "LHD country" made very much sense. Gentlemen wanted to keep their white shoes clean when getting out of their car and step directly to the pavement. Look at early Ferrari production - and Aurelias! Berlinas could be ordered with LHD (B10S), but if you wanted a Coupe, you had to take a RHD car... And many people wanted quick filler for vanity - it made the car look even faster!

 

Speaking of faster, Mike Sheehan notes some other treatments regarding the engine and gearbox.

http://www.ferraris-online.com/Articles/FMLA_9704.shtml

"Now red with tan leather" also implies that it originally wasn't. Oh yeah and it has SA style fenders.