Tag Archives: Delahaye

Triple Feature Hollywood Star – Delage D8 120 Chapron Cabriolet

Today’s featured Delage D8 120 sits on the same Delahaye sourced chassis and is mechanically similar to the Delage D8 120 Letourneur & Marchand Aerosport Coupé” I looked at last week.

Delage D8 120 Chapron Cabriolet, Goodwood Festival Of Speed,

However once complete the chassis was sent to the Henri Chapron carrosserie for it’s magnificent Cabriolet body to be fitted in 1939.

Delage D8 120 Chapron Cabriolet, Goodwood Festival Of Speed,

An unfortunate French General is said to have shipped the car to the United States, before being denied access to the country because of his alleged Nazi sympathies in 1946.

Delage D8 120 Chapron Cabriolet, Goodwood Festival Of Speed,

During the 1950’s this car belonged to the Warner Bros Studio in Hollywood and it stared in three films, when it was still painted it’s original Ocean Blue a shade of green with a white roof; Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye with James Cagney in 1950, An American in Paris with Gene Kelly in 1951 and finally Carmen Jones with Harry Belafonte in 1954.

Delage D8 120 Chapron Cabriolet, Goodwood Festival Of Speed,

The Delage seen in these photograph’s at the Goodwood Festival of Speed was acquired, restored and painted Burgundy for it’s current owner Peter Mullins in the 1980’s, when not on tour the car is to be found at the Mullins Museum in Oxnard, California.

Thanks for joining me on this “Triple Feature Hollywood Star” edition of “Gettin’ a little psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I will be going testing at Donington Park. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Pillarless Vue Panoramic – Delage D8 120 Letourneur & Marchand Aerosport Coupé

By 1937 when today’s Delage D8 120 was built, Louis Delage had sold the controlling interest in his company to his French rival Delahaye who continued to market cars with both brand names.

Delage D8 120 Letourneur & Marchand Aerosport Coupé, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

The 1936 Delage D8 100 and 1937 Delage D8 120 were designed to top the ranges of both brands.

Delage D8 120 Letourneur & Marchand Aerosport Coupé, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

The Delage D8 120 like the D8 100 introduced a year earlier used Delahaye sourced steel ladder chassis frames.

Delage D8 120 Letourneur & Marchand Aerosport Coupé, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

There seems to be a good bit of confusion about the origins of the engine used in the D8 120 with some sources believing it to have origins in a Delahaye truck and by others to have origins in the Delahaye 135MS straight 6, so far as I am aware both of these suggestions are no more than chewing the cud piffle of the highest order.

Delage D8 120 Letourneur & Marchand Aerosport Coupé, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

I believe the D8 120 engine is a 120hp developement of the straight eight Delage first built in 1929 with it’s capacity now stretched to 4,302 cc / 262.5 cu in.

Delage D8 120 Letourneur & Marchand Aerosport Coupé, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

As before the Delahaye take over top of the range Delages were supplied only as rolling chassis onto which the creme de la creme of boutique coach builders were given instructions by customers as to their exact body requirements.

The Aerosport Sport Pillarless Vue Panoramic body on today’s featured car, now owned by the Peterson Museum, is by Letourneur & Marchand a Parisian coach building company founded in Paris on the 1st of April 1905.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing today’s photographs taken at the Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance, Palm Springs a couple of years ago.

Thanks for joining me on this “Pillarless Vue Panoramic” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at some of the 400 cars collected by a man who know’s more about the inside of cars than most and has made a fortune out of writing books about how to take them apart and put them back together again. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Balls Of Steel – Delahaye 135 CS

Today’s featured car is a Delahaye 135 was first registered in the UK on the 24th of March 1938. It appears to be a short wheel base CS version fitted with similar body work to the Competition Special which Eugène Chaboud and Jean Trémoulet drove to victory over the sister 135 CS driven by Gaston Serraud and Yves Giraud-Cabantous in the 1938 Le Mans 24 Hour race.

This car is fitted with a 3557 cc / 217 cui straight six motor that in it’s highest state of tune, with three carburetors, produces around 160 hp.

Delahaye 135, Sir Ralph Robbins, VSCC, Prescott,

The man seen driving this car at the VSCC Prescott meeting a couple of years ago is Sir Ralph Robin, an unsung hero of British Industry who joined Rolls Royce as an Engineer from Imperial College as a graduate apprentice in 1955.

When he retired from Rolls Royce in 2003 he was the companies longest serving employee and had risen all the way to the Chairpersonship 11 years earlier.

He helped turn the company around from a troubled nationalised enterprise in 1971 to a privatised world leader in it’s field by 1987, his deals with Cathy Pacific in 1979 and billion dollar deal with American Airlines in 1988 helped secure a future for British manufacturing for decades to come.

His CEO Sir John Rose once pithily described Sir Ralph as having “balls of steel”.

Thanks for joining me on this “Balls Of Steel” edition of ‘Gettin a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for a closer look at the car in front. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Automotive Haute Couture – Delahaye 178 Chapron Convertible

In 1946 Delahaye became one of the first manufacturers to show a new chassis onto which customers were to fit individually tailored bodies built by third parties.

Delahaye Type 178 Chapron Cabriolet, Desert Classic, Palm Springs

The 175/178/180 chassis featuring new Dubonnet front independent and de Dion rear suspension, was available in three different lengths all powered by the same 4,455 cc / 271 cui 6 cylinder motor, the two longer models were fitted with a single carburetor to produce 140hp.

Delahaye Type 178 Chapron Cabriolet, Desert Classic, Palm Springs

The 1953 chassis featured today is one of 37 178 chassis and the Henri Chapron Cabriolet body was originally painted monotone black.

Apparently back in the day Delahaye owners were not averse to showing off their new cars at Concours events wearing the latest haute coture designs in colours matching their cars.

Sadly most of the third party bodies fitted to the Delahaye chassis were too heavy for the suspension and the companies reputation went into rapid decline.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing his photographs taken at this years Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance at Palm Springs.

Thanks for joining me on this “Automotive Haute Coture” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Polymethyl Methacrylate Wheel – Delahaye 135MS Chapron Vedette

The competition version of the 135M that I looked at last week, known as the 135MS, had a more powerful motor giving up to 160hp and a wheel base a shade under 10 inches / 25cm shorter.

Delahaye 135MS, Chapron Vedette Convertible

The 1947 example featured today was sent to Henri Chapron for the Vedette, French for star, Cabriolet bodywork.

Delahaye 135MS, Chapron Vedette Convertible

Henri Chapron set up his studio in Paris in 1919 and started designing bespoke bodywork the following year.

Delahaye 135MS, Chapron Vedette Convertible

Chapron’s method of design was to dictate his ideas to an artist and then keep having the drawings refined until they matched his minds eye.

Delahaye 135MS, Chapron Vedette Convertible

The interior of this car features a steering wheel made from polymethyl methacrylate, a synthetic organic polymer known then by the trade name Plexiglass and known today by the trade name Lucite.

Delahaye 135MS, Chapron Vedette Convertible

This Vedette was sent to the 1947 Paris Motor show where it won the Concours d’Elegance thus vehicle is regarded as one f the finest examples of Chapron’s skills.

Delahaye 135MS, Chapron Vedette Convertible

After the demise of the likes of Delahaye in the mid 1950’s Henri Chapron continued designing cabriolet body work for Citroen DS and SM models, he and his 250 craftsmen are believed to have built around 8,000 bespoke bodies by the time his studio shut down in 1985 seven years after it’s founder died aged 92.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton who took these photo’s of the Chapron Vedette at the Palm Springs Desert Classic last year.

Thanks for joining me on this ” Polymethyl Methacrylate Wheel” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”. I hope you will join me again tomorrow for a trip to the Classic Motor Show in Birmingham. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Dutch Rattle Free Coachwork – Delahaye 135M Pennock Cabriolet

Four years after Emile Delahaye founded Delahaye to manufacture automobiles in France, P.J. Pennock & Sons founded Carrosseriefabriek P.J. Pennock & Zonen in the Netherlands in 1898.

Delahaye 135M, Pennock Cabriolet, Niello Concours at Serrano

In 1935 Delahaye built the first 135 Competition models which featured low chassis with independent front suspension and conventional solid rear axle which were competitive in events as the Monte Carlo Rally and the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Delahaye 135M, Pennock Cabriolet, Niello Concours at Serrano

After war the Delahaye 135 returned to production with the six cylinder motor now producing 130 hp in M spec, as before the war Delahaye customers had no choice but to send their Delhaye chassis coach builders as Delahaye had no in house coach building facilities.

Delahaye 135M, Pennock Cabriolet, Niello Concours at Serrano

The chassis of this particular 1947 Cabriolet was sent to Carrosseriefabriek P.J. Pennock & Zonen who had eliminated rattling body work by using a bare minimum of woodwork framing and by welding their creations direct to the customers chassis.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing today’s photographs taken at Niello Concours at Serrano a couple of years ago.

Thanks for joining me on this “Dutch Rattle Free Coachwork” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for Coffee, Croissant & Cars tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Shelby Pierce Arrow – Niello Concours at Serrano

The weekend before last Geoffrey Horton took his Jaguar out of it’s garage for the last time this year to attend the Niello Concours at Serrano. He kindly sent today’s featured photographs for us to enjoy.

Pierce Silver Arrow, Niello Serrano Concours d'Elegance

The achievements of Pierce Arrow and Carroll Shelby were being celebrated at Niello, above a 1933 Pierce Silver Arrow one of only three such 115 mph V12’s known to exist.

British Salmson S4C, Niello Serrano Concours d'Elegance

Suffering from slow sales of aero engines made under license from (French) Salmson in 1934 British Salmson extended it’s license deal to include local manufacture of Salmson cars. Above is a 1936 S4C similar to it’s French counterpart except that it has syncromesh on the top two gears of the gearbox. Around 250 S4C’s were manufactured from 1934 to 1938.

Delahaye, Niello Serrano Concours d'Elegance

For a Delahaye the vehicle above is pretty tame, by Delahaye standards, I’m not sure of either the year, model or coachbuilder, looks most likely a 135 which could have been built 1935 and 1954. If you know which more please do not be afraid to chime in below.

Jaguar XK140 MC DHC SE, Niello Serrano Concours d'Elegance

As regular GALPOT readers will know Geoffrey Horton restored a rats nest back into a 1955 Jaguar XK140 FHC SE / MC which he now enters in Concours events. The 1956 example above has been in the same family since 4th January 1956, it is totally original and unrestored, as the owner says “cost of $90,000” and “cost of to keep it original, with sentimental value = priceless”

FIAT 1200 TV Spider, Niello Serrano Concours d'Elegance

Not sure what this one is at the time of writing looks a little like a Mk 1 Triumph Spitfire with a lot of additional chrome, the wheels look like they come from a Berkeley. If you know what this one is please chime in below, it’s certainly not in my I-spy book of cars.

Shelby King Cobra, Niello Serrano Concours d'Elegance

Carroll Shelby ordered two new Cooper Monaco’s beefed up to carry Shelby’s 289 Ford V8’s for the 1963 URRSC sports car championship.
Chassis #CM/1/63 seen here was driven by rapidly rising star Dave MacDonald to victories in both the 1963 Los Angeles Times Grand Prix at Riverside and the Monterey Pacific Grand Prix at Laguna Seca which along which helped MacDonald secure the 1963 URRSC sports car championship.

Shelby GT.350, Niello Serrano Concours d'Elegance

The 1965 Shelby GT 350 was built to compete in the SCCA National B Production Championship with full race suspension larger oil pan and straight through exhaust side pipes. It was fitted with ‘only two’ seats to comply with the SCCA regulations. This particular copy, one of 562 built in 1965, has been in the same family since new.

Mercedes Benz 280 SE, Niello Serrano Concours d'Elegance

For 1970 the US Department of Transport demanded extra visibility over the bonnet / hood of all cars and so all post 1970 model year Mercedes 280 SE’s received a lower grill than in previous years. The Low Grill 280 SE Cabriolet above is one of just 237 built in 1970.

Ford Gran Torino, Niello Serrano Concours d'Elegance

Capable of reaching 60 mph in six seconds and covering the quarter mile in just 14.4 seconds the Ford Torino GT introduced in 1970 could be ordered with sports deck, hideaway head lamps and reflective side stripes, just like the one seen above.

Triumph TR8, Niello Serrano Concours d'Elegance

The English Corvette as the Triumph TR8 was known was manufactured 1978 to 1982. This one would appear to be one one of the 2400 dropheads built between 1980 and 1982.

Panoz Esperante GTLM, Niello Serrano Concours d'Elegance

The Panoz Esperante can be ordered in GT, GTLM and GTS specs with an after market JRD upgrade available if you need the speed and have the budget to satiate it. The car above is a 2005 model is the first of 80 Supercharged GTLM models. Amongst Wild Bills other vehicles are an amphibious Amphicar and Messerschmitt Kabinen Roller !

Jaguar XK140 MC DHC SE, Niello Serrano Concours d'Elegance

And so it’s time to thank Geoffrey one the last time this year for his fabulous Concours d’Elegance contributions to GALPOT this year, there will of course be further contributions about individual vehicles, and hope that his Jaguar stays safe over the off season in anticipation of the 2013 California Concours d’Elegance season.

Thanks for joining me on this “Shelby Pierce Arrow” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

PS Since writing this Geoffrey has informed me that the unidentified car that looks like a cross between a Triumph and a Berkeley is a 1956 FIAT 1200 TV Spider. We live and we learn ! Thanks again to Geoffrey.

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