Vehicle Description
Emile Delahaye is one of the founding fathers of the Automobile
Industry. Like his contemporaries Gottlieb Daimler, Ferdinand
Porsche and Henry Ford, Delahaye built his first automobile before
the turn of the twentieth century - in 1895. Emile Delahaye
designed the early cars himself and he remained with the company he
had founded after selling to two Paris-based industrialists, L�on
Desmarais and Georges Morane, in 1897. In poor health, he retired
in 1901, leaving Delahaye in the capable hands of production
manager Charles Weiffenbach and engineer Am�d�e Varlet. By this
time the company had left its original home in Tours and was
re-established in the Morane family's factory in the Gobbelins
district of Paris. Most often associated with the successful
sporting cars such as the T135 and their flamboyant, high-art deco
style coachwork, Delahaye's early products were mainly sensible and
well-built but somewhat unexciting. The firm built single- and
twin-cylinder models initially, and introduced its first
four-cylinder car - the Type 11 - in 1903. They eventually branched
out into commercial vehicle manufacture including medium duty
trucks, buses and fire apparatus. By the outbreak of The Great War,
Delahaye had established a reputation for quality and reliability
and was ranked in the top ten of French carmakers. During WWI,
Delahaye manufactured military trucks, FN rifles and parts for
Hispano-Suiza aero engines. Our featured 1911 Delahaye Type 413a
started life in France as a fire engine built by Soci�t� Generale
du Carrosserie et de Charronage of Paris, and was in service in
south east France. After very little time in service, it was
replaced by a larger machine that could cover a wider area. After
it was decommissioned, the Delahaye found its way to the Mus�e de
l'Automobile du Sud-Est in St Cannat (Provence) where it remained
for many years. When the museum closed in 1973, the Delahaye was
purchased by Michael Banfield, a well-known British fire engine
enthusiast, who kept it for another 40 years with the intention of
undertaking a restoration, though this was never carried out in his
tenure. The Delahaye was registered in the UK in 1981 as LE 7485,
records for which still appear in the DVLA database. Following its
time with Mr. Banfield, the wonderful Delahaye found a new owner in
2014 who commissioned a ground-up restoration, which included
fitting the 12-seater charabanc-style body. The body is constructed
of wood and finished to a high standard, in keeping with the
quality and period feel of the chassis. Fenders and bonnet are
excellent, with good quality finish that is period appropriate for
a commercial vehicle. Gold coach stripes adorn the fenders, bonnet
and wood-spoked wheels. During the restoration, the large wooden
wheels were restored and updated to wear pneumatic tires which
provide a more civilized ride as well as proving to be far more
serviceable than the original solid-rubber tires. Loads of
beautiful brass equipment includes period brass King of the Road
headlamps, twin coach lamps, a winged Moto-Meter, brass windscreen
frame and other trim pieces. The multiple rows of seats are all
trimmed in matching black upholstery and appear in very good
condition, remaining very fresh and virtually untouched since the
restoration was completed in 2016. A full canvas soft top has also
been fitted, which is completely removable for fair weather
driving. The big Delahaye is powered by a 3.0-litre, four-cylinder,
sidevalve engine, which sends drive rearward via a Ferodo type cone
clutch to a three-speed transaxle gearbox and dual-chain driven
rear axle. To make it more accessible and enjoyable, a battery,
charging system, and electric starter motor have been added, while
the metal brakes have been converted to Ferodo friction linings, as
well as the aforementioned pneumatic tires. The sale includes some
older photographs as well as some documentation. This rare, fun and
unique Delahaye would make an enjoyable parade vehicle or it could
even be used for promotional work, but we envision it as the
perfect toy for summer outings in the company of a big group of
friends and family.
