Vehicle Description
Much like legendary French chef Auguste Escoffier's buttery "mother
sauces," early French automotive history is some of the industry's
richest. Pioneering efforts from late-19th century marques like
Panhard, Peugeot, and De Dion-Bouton laid significant framework for
the modern car, while France's later luxury brands like Delage,
Talbot-Lago, and Bugatti catered to royalty and simultaneously
dominated major motorsports events around the world. At the center
of this Venn-diagram is Delahaye. As one of France's les Grande
routieres, Delahaye established itself as one of the finest pre-war
marques; its competition-grade chassis and powertrains were usually
draped in outlandishly voluptuous bodywork from the finest French
coachbuilders like Figoni et Falaschi and Saoutchik, matching
Bugatti for pace and surpassing most for elegance. Delahaye made
its mark on motorsports early with entries into endurance events
like the 1896 Paris-Marseille-Paris, 1897 Paris-Dieppe, and 1898
Paris-Amsterdam-Paris races. The firm's racing efforts ceased after
founder �mile Delahaye's 1901 retirement and subsequent death in
1905, shifting Delahaye's primary focus to commercial vehicles and
semi-standardized passenger cars that were notably less sporting
and evocative than its later efforts. Financial woes in the late
1920s pushed principal shareholders to reassess the marque's
positioning. The revamped Delahaye brand would arrive on the
shoulders of a new sporting six-cylinder chassis line that offered
more competitive power, sharp handling, and an elevated price tag.
As part of this rebrand, a racing department was established-the
brand's first-and the new-for-1935 Delahaye Type 135 set about
returning the storied marque to the crucible of motorsports. Both
factory and privateer efforts in the new Type 135 left no starting
lines empty on the European racing circuit over the next five
years, with strong showings and a spate of podium finishes at
prestigious events like the Mille Miglia, 24 Hours of Le Mans,
Alpine Rally, Ulster Trophy, and Monte Carlo Rally. Off track,
top-level European coachbuilders draped the popular 135 chassis in
ludicrously voluptuous bodywork that perfectly toed the line
between elegance and excess. Production of the 135 range spans an
astounding 19 years from 1935 to 1954, though Delahaye's wartime
manufacturing stress cut the 135 short in 1940, resuming six years
later at the close of World War II. This particular 1949 Delahaye
135 M Cabriolet on offer is one of these post-war cars. The
"M"-short for Modifie, or "modified"-specification denotes a larger
and improved 3.5-liter overhead valve inline-six engine offered
with between one and three carburetors. Chassis no. 800940 carries
the desirable (and numbers-matching) 110-hp triple-Solex setup and
Cotal four-speed electromagnetic transmission-the ideal drivetrain
configuration for Delahaye's many privateer racing efforts. French
carrosserie Chapron penned the distinctive and stunningly graceful
cabriolet coachwork, previously authenticated to be correct by Club
Delahaye president Jean-Paul Tissot. It's one of just a handful
bodied in Chapron's "long-nose" style, incorporating semi-recessed
headlights and a prominent front grille, and offers a cabriolet
soft-top adjustable to three positions. Inside, light brown
upholstery is complemented by light tan carpeting and beautiful
wood trim, the latter wearing a selection of control knobs rendered
in charming butterscotch Bakelite. A remarkable level of historical
documentation accompanies no. 800940. It was first registered in
September 1948, and quickly sold to French mining engineer Jean
Dubos in Hauts-de-Seine. By 1985, it resided in the collection of a
former president of the Bugatti Club, and purportedly enjoyed a
major restoration by Chapron itself under his ownership. It
eventually moved to a new owner in Finistere, France prior to
landing with the most recent owner in 2013. According to
documentation, the last decade of ownership saw this exquisite
Delahaye enjoying casual use in a range of rallies and tours-the
ideal use-case for any 135 M. These are robust and rewarding cars,
equally comfortable on brisk countryside tours as they are on the
lush concours green. As such, the new owner should expect to put a
fair number of miles under this Delahaye's fine wire wheels. Offers
welcome and trades considered For additional details please view
this listing directly on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7494-1949-delahaye-135-m-chapron-cabriolet/