For Sale at Auction: 1937 Delage D8 in Monterey, California

Chassis No. 50789
Engine No. 50789
Body No. 2909

At the Paris Motor Show of October 1935, Letourneur et Marchand exhibited a new design on the Delage stand. Commissioned by Delage chief Walter Watney and based upon the D6-70 chassis, it was distinguished by a bold beltline molding that rose from the downward curve of the rear fender, up through the doors to fade into the hood. This molding was, in turn, set off by the subtle downward curve of the door saddle, which dipped from the cowl across the door to a reverse-angled rear pillar. Most distinctive of all, however, was the treatment of the side window glass, which was totally frameless or "pillarless" in the truest sense of the word. Instead, the two pieces of glass gained their rigidity from slightly overlapping at the center. Pioneered first by Letourneur et Marchand on another Delage in 1932, the effect, described as "Vutotal" - which requires no translation! - was incredibly open and airy, and instantly recognizable as one of the coachbuilder's fine creations.

Unsurprisingly this design attracted considerable attention and comment, and variations of it would come to be built to Letourneur et Marchand's original lines for Delage by Autobineau on other D6-70 and D6-60 chassis. It was referred to as the Coach JeLM, "J" being Delage's usual signifier for a four-passenger coupe of this variety, "L" and "M" obviously referring to the initials of the coachbuilders, and 'e' being a mystery, used in Delage's catalogs but not by the coachbuilder themselves.

Chassis number 50789, offered here, is believed to be the only surviving example of the Coach JeLM on the most prestigious and highest-performance, eight-cylinder D8-120 chassis. The D8-120 was the first model produced following Delage's merger with its old rival, Delahaye, and was actually based upon a modified Delahaye chassis with an advanced front suspension featuring a transverse leaf spring. The engine was based upon the famous Delahaye 135 MS competition six-cylinder engine, so successful in racing during the late 1930s, but re-engineered with, of course, two additional cylinders and additional development so as to produce some 115 horsepower, often delivered through a Cotal electric preselector gearbox. A properly set-up D8-120 had sufficient torque and power to achieve speeds up to 95 mph, quite sufficient for a French grand touring car of its era.

Unlike the majority of this style on the six-cylinder chassis, this JeLM was built not by Autobineau but by its original designers, Letourneur et Marchand, as signified by the body number, 2909, still stamped in the door sill trim on both sides. In his authoritative work on these cars, Letourneur et Marchand, Autobineau: Maitres carrossiers francais, historian Dominique Pagneux notes that this was the second of three early D8-120 chassis bodied with the JeLM coachwork. These examples were produced immediately prior to the more famous and slightly more audacious version of the design, the Coach Aerosport with its fastback tail, and can be seen as leading into that car's creation. Pogneaux further notes that this particular car, chassis number 50789, was subsequently used as a "test car" for the D8-120 by the Delage factory, and includes a photograph of the JeLM as it was originally built.

The spectacular Delage was sold new in France, as indeed were most D8-120s. Registration research indicates that its original Parisian registration, 3813 RK5, had been issued in early October 1936. Having survived the war, the car was acquired in February 1949 by Jean Salis of La Ferte-Alais.

According to commentary by later owner Dale Allen, the car was then acquired around 1950 by a Gaston Saint, who had the body updated by having the headlights faired into the front fenders. Mr. Saint then took the car from France to his farm near Castlemaine in Victoria, Australia, where he much enjoyed driving it on the local roads. It is said that while the car was being stored in a shed on his property, with the radiator shell and grille off, they were damaged by a small herd of cattle that rushed into the shed during a thunderstorm! The car was eventually acquired by Mr. Allen of Emerald, Victoria and then passed to Richard Scott of Sidney, Ohio, then a very active collector of European Classics. It was found to be in somewhat rough condition, not surprising given the use on rural Australian roads and the occasional stampede.

Mr. Scott began the restoration, including having many repairs made to the original wooden body structure; properly repairing and refitting the body panels, including having the front fenders reshaped to the original lines; and having the engine rebuilt by Chris Leydon, as indicated in a report on file. He then sold the car to Joseph and Margie Cassini, renowned collectors who have twice been awarded Best of Show at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, among dozens of other honors all over the country during three decades of passionate enthusiasm. With their typical fierce dedication excellence, the Cassinis submitted the Delage to RM Auto Restoration to undergo a complete restoration back to its original magnificence, with several small "tweaks" made to the design, most prominently the inclusion of spats over the rear wheels and a unique dashboard design, in keeping with the custom tradition of coachbuilt Delages. The result was displayed at the 2006 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, earning Second in the always fiercely contested European Classic 1925-1939 Closed class.

The Cassinis sold the Delage in early 2009 to another renowned collector and multiple Pebble Beach Best of Show winner, James Patterson of Louisville, Kentucky. It remained in the Patterson Collection for several years before its acquisition by the Academy of Art University, which saw much inspiration in the nearly fluid curves of its magnificent French coachwork.

Well-preserved by its owners since restoration, the Delage remains utterly concours-quality throughout, with remarkably deep, lustrous two-tone pewter paint that is virtually unmarked, and a beautifully detailed engine compartment and chassis. All body panels open and close with utter authority, and panel gaps are outstanding, as is the finish of the brightwork. Even with Letourneur et Marchand's audacious styling, however, most attention will likely be drawn inside the car, with its rich woodwork, the jewel box-like dashboard with its finely finished Jaeger instruments, and seat facings of genuine elephant hide - a flourish that would not have been uncommon among concours competitors of the 1930s, and which is always the center of attention at shows.

Ready for a proud return to the world of concours d'elegance, this amazing Delage is a full-course feast for the senses - French engineering and coachwork at their most innovative, beautifully combined and meticulously restored.