Many a Cessna aficionado will happily tell you that the best Cessnas weren’t made in the famous Wichita Kansas factory. They were made in the Champagne wine region in northern France, in the city of Reims. Already famous for hosting the world’s first international air show in 1909, the association between aviation and Reims was cemented when production of Cessna 172s and 175s began in 1963.
After World War II, globalisation and the formation of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) had an immediate effect on international airline transportation, but protection of local aviation manufacturing was still widespread.
Tariffs and import restrictions made it difficult for foreign aircraft manufacturers to get a foothold in another manufacturing country. For example, Victa exported Airtourers to the UK, but could only do so in knocked-down kit form for assembly (and fitment of UK-made engines) in the UK.
Cessna’s approach was to find a European partner, and set up a licence-manufacture arrangement. Thus, Reims Aviation was formed around the small Avions Max Holte company, famous for their Broussard single radial-engined monoplane family.
Cessna purchased a 49% stake in the company, the company sold off the Broussard line to Nord, and re-badged to Reims Aviation. From then on, Reims Aviation has produced only Cessna (or modified Cessna) designs.
Kicking off
When Cessna 172 production began, Reims only had 280 employees, but ramped up quickly so that the first aircraft
