Let's put some order on this:
DE LAVAUD
Societè d'Expansion Technique E. Sensaud de Lavaud, Paris.
Sensaud de Lavaud exhibited his car at the Paris Salon each year from 1927 to 1930, yet it is unlikely that He sold any, thought at least two were made. It was built to demonstrate his unconventional transmission, although other features of the car were quite unusual as well. The engine was a 2.3-litre six which was steam cooled, the radiator acting as a condenser. The cylinder head, like the frame and wheels, was made of Alpax, an alloy of aluminium and silicon. Suspension was independent all around, by rubber in vertical pillars. the transmission consisted of a swash plate at the end of the propeller shaft; the variable angle of shaft plate gave an infinite number of gear ratios and the makers claimed that the system combined economy, longevity of the components, high average speeds, comfort and safety. The system was tried by Gabriel Voisin in one of his cars, and he later took out a licence to produce it, though it never appeared on a production Voisin. A free wheel system on the rear axle replaced the usual differential.
(The Beaulieu Encyclopedia)
