To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVEEstimate:
$150,000 - $200,000
- A French grand routier in the finest tradition
- Older restoration in striking colors
- Handsome, well-proportioned cabriolet coachwork
- Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) Full Classic
The eight-cylinder Delage is one of the most famous and grand
French automobiles of the Classic Era, renowned for its
silky-smooth performance and as the basis for some of the era's
most fabulous coachwork. It was available in several different
sizes over the years, including the D8/15, with a somewhat smaller
2,668 cc engine. The D8/15 could be had in two lengths of
wheelbase, including the shortened, somewhat sportier S platform.
It was produced for only two seasons and then discontinued in
1934.
According to information on file from Delage Register secretary
Peter Jacobs, chassis number 38622 was likely imported to the
United Kingdom in 1937, the year that its license plate, DUC 252,
was issued. Many years later, in 1986, it was discovered in an
English shed, weathered from having both ends of the car exposed to
the elements. It was subsequently restored by a coachbuilder in
West Yorkshire, with the original special valve gear of the engine,
having aged beyond use, replaced with a different compatible gear.
Interestingly, the car is fitted with four SU carburetors and a
Lucas electrical system, perhaps meaning that it was delivered new
in the United Kingdom.
Acquired by Mr. Mitosinka from Dennis Gibbs of Castro Valley,
California, in 2008, the car is finished in a rich and eye-popping
red-orange, with biscuit tan leather upholstery and a tan canvas
top; the interior and top are both of good quality, with
driver-quality paint. Its lines resemble period designs by
Pourtout, but, as noted by Mr. Jacobs, is not listed in the
coachbuilder's surviving records researched by Claude Pourtout;
further, the Pourtout plate on the body is a later addition. The
original serial number plate is present but appears to have been
fractured at some point and is supported by an additional piece of
brass. Mr. Mitosinka has invested in rechroming many pieces of
exterior trim and installing new side mount covers, receipts for
which are included in the maintenance file.
The car is accompanied by a history file including numerous
photographs and pieces of correspondence, as well as an original D8
Description and Maintenance book, and a collection of small parts
amassed over the years. During Mr. Mitosinkas ownership, it has
been displayed at the Palos Verdes Concours d'Elegance and has
recently had the radiator cleaned. It is an unusually striking
D8-15S Delage, true to the marque's tradition of elegant lines and
good performance, and would be a striking addition to any concours
field for which it is eligible.To view this car and others
currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/mt20.
