For Sale: 1948 Delahaye 135M in Saint Louis, Missouri

Emerging from the shadows of German occupation, famed French automaker Delahaye entered the post-war era building 3 � -ton trucks - an unglamorous return, but necessary for reconstruction and paying bills. In 1946, Delahaye returned to form when the Type 135M resumed production, much to the delight of wealthy clients. A natural-born performance car, the Type 135 chassis was a versatile Grand Tourisme and a darling of the prestigious French coachbuilding industry. For its post-war revival, it had a widened track for better handling, improved brakes, and refinements to the overhead-valve six-cylinder engine, offering upward of 130 horsepower for the triple-carb "MS" spec, and considerably more for competition.
Among the most renowned of the great French carrossiers to get the best of the Type 135 was Giuseppe "Joseph" Figoni. Born in Italy in 1894, Figoni immigrated to France when he was just three years old. As a teenager, he apprenticed with a carriage maker before serving seven years in the French military. In 1923, he opened a body repair shop in Boulogne, quickly earning the admiration of clients who called upon his skills for not only repairs, but also for his ability to perform visual enhancing modifications. Inevitably, it became a full-fledged coachbuilding operation by 1925. Exhibiting a natural talent for proportions and detailing, Figoni built reputation for high quality craftsmanship and unparalleled style. In 1935, Figoni partnered with Ovidio Falaschi, a Tuscan businessman with a penchant for fast, stylish motorcars. Falaschi's financial backing allowed Figoni to experiment with increasingly flamboyant designs, striving to maintain his signature balance and proportion. The Goutte d'Or (literally "drop of gold") coupe on a Talbot T-150 marked his arrival as an Avant Garde stylist, attracting the attention of the world's elite figures.
One such figure was the Pasha of Marrakesh, T'hami El Glaoui, an influential figure in Morocco, a French held colony. His powerful stature and sympathetic stance with the French government afforded him lucrative business opportunities at home and abroad; enough to amass a huge fortune that at one point topped $50M. El Glaoui enjoyed the fruits of his fortune, indulging in multiple palaces and the finest automobiles. In the late 1940s, El Glaoui commissioned Figoni et Falaschi to body a Delahaye 135M chassis with an elegant, full-figured four-seat cabriolet body and a three-position cabriolet top with external irons. Slightly restrained, it still had just enough signature Figoni drama. The shape was popular enough that the firm built a series of approximately 18 cars on the theme, though with each example slightly different from the next.
Chassis number 800443 is a highly desirable, high-performance Type 135-MS chassis, bodied by Figoni et Falaschi in an El Glaoui-style cabriolet body bearing build number 1009. This unique car was one of three milestone designs displayed on the Figoni et Falaschi stand at the 1946 Paris Auto Salon - the first since its wartime cancelation in 1939. The show was indeed a glorious comeback for both Delahaye and Figoni. On the coachbuilder's stand sat three striking designs, all underpinned by the superb Type 135. According to Mr. Richard Adatto's book Figoni on Delahaye, the three cars Figoni brought were a dramatic 'Narval' roadster (chassis 800302), an aerodynamic coupe (chassis 800301), and this handsome cabriolet (800443).
With its traditional cabriolet top and voluptuous fenders, it is believed that 800443 is an early prototype for the El Glaoui series, or it at least heavily influenced subsequent cars. It indeed shares many characteristics, particularly in profile, but this car is otherwise unique and is said to be a one-off design. While most El Glaoui cars wear bullet or faired-in headlamps, 800443 features dramatic, low-set lamps, fully integrated into the front apron, with distinctive art deco-inspired chrome trim flanking the grille. The body adornment is otherwise restrained, aside from flashes of chrome along the bonnet, belt line, and lower fenders. Particularly with its fluted wheel discs in place, it is a textbook representation of the art-deco design era.
Following the celebrated premiere in Paris, 800443 was delivered to its first private owner, Mr. de la Fregonniere, on the 17th of December 1946. Little else is known of its early history, as the car inexplicably ended up abandoned on a New York pier. Mr. Adatto speculates it was likely acquired by a US serviceman who shipped it home for free (a useful military perk), but perhaps forgot he'd be on the hook for some rather stiff import duties. Fortunately for our subject, one of the Santini brothers (of the shipping firm Seven Santini Bros. Inc) discovered the abandoned Delahaye and, recognizing its importance, stashed it in one of their warehouses.
In 1956, it was acquired by a Pennsylvania dealer for the price of back storage fees. From there, Dana Reed, a Pennsylvania-based enthusiast, acquired the car. He had been on the lookout for a sporty French car, and his dealer friend just-so-happened to have the car he was after - 800443. Dana Reed used the Delahaye as his daily driver(!!) for seven years before taking it off the road. In the early 1980s, he enlisted Hibernia Auto Restorations in New Jersey to perform a full restoration. After a three-year restoration, the car was shown extensively, taking numerous awards along the way. Finally, after 49 years of careful stewardship, Reed sold the car in 2005 to its current custodian, via Hyman Ltd.
In a private collection for the past twenty years, this unique Figoni Delahaye has been maintained in lovely condition with its older restoration very well preserved. A unique and beautiful French motorcar offered from long-term stewardship, chassis 800443 exemplifies the harmony between Delahaye and Figoni that blossomed in the post-war era.

Offers welcome, trades considered