[1] As a young man he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts and soon gained recognition as a talented artist able at this stage, unusually, to live reasonably well on the sales proceeds from his paintings.

[1] With its integrated headlights, panoramic curved windscreen (of "plexiglas") and proto-ponton format styling, the design anticipated sports cars of the 1950s and 1960s.

Two years later, following the German invasion, and the virtual disappearance of petrol for civilian use, Arzens came up with a second Baleine, closely resembling the first at least from the outside, but based on the chassis of an old Fiat - much lighter than a Buick - and encumbered by 1,100 kg of accumulator batteries.

[1] Arzens' next automotive one-off appeared in 1942 and was instantly christened "L'Œuf électrique" (Electric egg), reflecting its egg-shape.

Damaged during a landing, the plane was taken into account by the National Geographic Institute, brought back to France and repaired, but it was scrapped a few months later because the IGN already had about fifteen B-17s, more than it needed for its work.

Arzens was also behind the reverse sloping front window characteristic of the "Nez Cassé" series of locomotives, which he said had been inspired by the form of a "sprinter on the starting block".