Vehicle Description
Chassis No. 51624
Engine No. 51624
Body No. 5452
Delage was one of France's oldest and most respected automakers,
originally established in 1905 by Louis Delage. The firm made its
early name in the racing of lightweight voiturettes, eventually
expanding to larger, more powerful models, which would form the
basis of its reputation after World War I. Its four- and
six-cylinder models of the Classic Era competed with the likes of
Hispano-Suiza for the hearts and pocketbooks of a wealthy,
sophisticated European clientele. Eventually the firm would pioneer
independent front suspension and would build the famous
eight-cylinder D8-100 of the early 1930s, known as the favored
platform of the concours d'elegance competitors of the era.
The Delage D8-120 was the company's first new model produced
following financial difficulties that had led it to collaborate
with longtime rival Delahaye, under the supervision of a new
corporate leader, Walter Watney. It utilized an inline
eight-cylinder engine similar to the Delahaye's
competition-oriented six-cylinder powerplant, only, of course, with
two additional cylinders, for an output of about 115 horsepower.
This engine was mounted upon a sturdy frame, with advanced front
suspension incorporating a transverse leaf spring. With beautiful
custom coachwork by any one of Europe's finest shops, it was a
marvelous, swift grand tourer, capable of carrying passengers and
their luggage to 95 mph on the Rue Nationale.
Those aforementioned coachbuilders found the D8-120 a superb basis
for their work, with excellent proportions that lent themselves to
powerfully designed bodies with long hoods. Most often the cars
were seen with flamboyant chromed side exhaust emerging between the
hood and fenders, a touch similar to that seen on the supercharged
Duesenbergs, Auburns, and Cords of the period - and showing that
styling cues did not always flow one way across the Atlantic.
In sum, the D8-120 was not just a worthy effort to carry the Delage
name, but had a special romance about it, all its own. It is a fit
automobile with which to utilize Peter Ustinov's famous quote -
that a gentleman drives an Alfa Romeo, is driven in a Rolls-Royce,
but gives only a Delage to his favorite mistress. Such was the
spirit of the machine, this particular example being even more
desirable as a second-series example, equipped with a more powerful
4.7-liter engine and a lighter chassis.
The Chapron Cabriolet
Henri Chapron was a respected and perhaps France's most prolific
custom coachbuilder of the era, known for his firm's ability to
produce a wide range of designs, for every possible purpose, all
with the same fine craftsmanship and beauty of line. His creations
on Delage chassis had an elegant conservatism to their lines, but
still often captured the full-figured streamlined spirit of their
time. When one pictures a Delage of this era, the car usually
captured in their mind's eye is a Chapron creation, most often a
cabriolet, a body style at which the coachbuilder particularly
excelled.
Information previously provided from the Chapron archive indicates
that chassis 51624 with body 5254 was delivered on 7 September
1937, just prior to the Paris Salon de l'Automobile held at the
Grand Palais in October. According to research by the late Delage
authority Francois Jolly, chassis number 51624 may have been
delivered new to a prominent French actress of the era, whose name
was unknown to him. Interestingly, the car is known to have worn
the British registration ELM 508 which is a prewar London
registration, so it is also possible that the first owner was in
fact in the UK.
Following World War II, the actress's D8-120 was indeed across the
Channel, as it was reportedly in the British ownership, according
to notes by Delage registrar Peter Jacobs, of a G. Maude of
Cheshire, who then advertised it in the April 1957 issue of Motor
Sport. Later British owners included J.W. Heaney, Jr., according to
the late Sidney Fulker.
Mr. Jolly's research further indicates that the Delage was imported
to the United States and reportedly owned by Robert Muelke. An
industrial designer and promoter of early custom automobile shows
on the East Coast, Mr. Muelke was an early American connoisseur of
the marque, famed for his long-term ownership of the special D8-120
S Pourtout Aero Coupe that later won Best of Show at the Pebble
Beach Concours d'Elegance in 2005, as well as a Packard 1108
Dietrich Stationary Coupe. The Delage was subsequently part of the
small, select collection of Mark Gibbons of Cambridge,
Massachusetts, alongside a Pourtout-bodied Talbot-Lago T-150 C SS,
a Rolls-Royce Phantom II Henley Roadster, a Bugatti Type 57C, among
other wonderful rarities.
The D8-120 then returned to Europe in the hands of Louis Vuitton
dynasty heir Herve Ogliastro, who commissioned its present
restoration by the French firm, Carrosserie Lecoq. In this era,
Lecoq was one of the best-known restoration shops in Europe,
renowned for its numerous victories at concours d'elegance
worldwide. As part of this comprehensive work the car was
refinished to its present blue-green with tan leather interior; the
body was extensively rewooded, but its sheet metal appears to have
been largely well-preserved, as some original finishes can still be
seen underneath the fenders. Much of the chrome trim was redone but
certain original touches remained intact, with the Chapron body
number "52" still visible on the underside of one of the windshield
pillar caps. Following completion of the restoration, the Delage
was exhibited at the 1992 Louis Vuitton Classic at Bagatelle,
winning the Prix special du Jury.
In 2006 the Delage was acquired by the late John O'Quinn for his
large collection in Houston, Texas, then in 2010 joined the
collection of the Academy of Art University, where its restoration
has been well-preserved. Displaying 5,331 kilometers at the time of
cataloging, it shows some patina throughout but is still highly
attractive, and would be suitable for regional competitions or,
with proper preparation, as a swift and comfortable mount for CCCA
CARavans and various tours and rallies worldwide.
The Delage is an automobile that every enthusiast of prewar cars
must experience at least once, and this example, bearing superb
coachwork and a well-preserved restoration, would be worthy of
anyone's enjoyment. It is a lovely specimen of one of the company's
most delightful models.
