Tag Archives: Delage

Methanol Motion – Delage SS Special

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Rod King’s potent Delage SS Special featured in today’s blog is built on a 1938 Delage chassis.

Delage Special, Rod King, VSCC, Loton Park,

The 2664 cc / 162 cui straight 6 motor appears to have been donated from a contemporaneous Jaguar SS100.

Delage Special, Rod King, VSCC, Prescott,

Unlike most Jaguar SS100 motors, which produced 100 hp when new, the one in the SS Delage Special has been supercharged.

Delage Special, Rod King, VSCC, Prescott,

The orange dot on the side of the car indicates to safety marshals in the event of an emergency that the motor runs on performance enhancing methanol which burns without visible flames.

Delage Special, Rod King, VSCC, Prescott,

Almost exactly a year ago Rod King’s Delage SS Special had a minor part in the second series finale episode of Father Brown called The Laws of Motion.

Thanks for joining me for this “Methanol Motion” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be reviewing my Christmas reading. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Straddling Hostilities – Delage 3 Litre Course

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In 1932 Delage launched it’s D6 series which featured independent front suspension, hydraulic front brakes and a six cylinder motor of 2.1 litres / 128 cui.

Delage 3 litre Course, John Warden, VSCC, Loton Park.

Like the Delahaye 135 series, which initially used cable operated brakes, the Delage D6’s were available with a variety of chassis lengths onto which coach builders, like Charon would build a body in what ever style a customer required.

Delage 3 litre Course, John Warden, VSCC, Loton Park.

By 1936 D6’s were available with motors just over 3 litres / 183 cui when Delage started building the 3 Litre Course model for competition.

Delage 3 litre Course, John Warden, VSCC, Loton Park.

Records show that one such car entered by Ecurie Walter Watney driven by Louis Gérard and Georges Monneret finished second at the Le Mans 24 Hours and on the other side of the hostilities in 1949 entrant and driver Henri Louveau sharing a 3 litre D6S with Juan Jover from Spain repeated the feat at the same venue.

John Warden’s 3 Litre Course shown in these photographs taken at a VSCC meeting at Loton Park is listed in the programme as a 1937 model, the DVLA records show the car as being built and imported to the United Kingdom in 1949, their are myriad reasons for such a discrepancies arising, if you happen to know the real reason please do not hesitate to chip in below.

Thanks for joining me on this “Straddling Hostilities” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psychoontyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now.

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Huge Torque – Hispano Delage 500CV

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Today’s featured car, like Cristopher Williams Napier Bentley, is a VSCC special, a car assembled from period parts that were not necessarily assembled in the current combination back in the day.

Hispano Delage 500CV, Anthony Howart, VSCC Loton Park

The chassis for Anthony Howart’s Special comes from a 1926 Delage. I suspect, though it is unconfirmed that this is the type of chassis fitted with a 10.5 litre / 640 cui Delage V12 that 4’10” Canadian Mrs Kay Petre used to set a fastest ladies lap around Brooklands of 134 mph in 1935.

Hispano Delage 500CV, Anthony Howart, VSCC Loton Park

The 27 litre / 1,647 cui Hispano Suiza V12 Type H.S. 57 12 Mb motor for this car was built in 1930 and produces well over 500hp at 2000 rpm it was most commonly found in French built aircraft like the military; Blériot-SPAD 91-7, Nieuport-Delage 622 and 629 aircraft.

Anthony who has owned the one and a half tonne special since 2007 says the motor has huge torque and requires a soft touch on the accelerator if one is to avoid taking off.

Thanks for joining me on this “Huge Torque” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for Coffee, Mince Pies and Cars. Don’t forget to come back now !

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2 Lathes and 3 Employees -Delage Type – R

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Louis Delage founded the company bearing his name in 1905 by giving up his 600 Fr monthly income and borrowing 35,000 Fr, his company had two lathes and three employees on if whom was a former Chief Designer at Peugeot.

Delage began manufacturing bodies for Helbé before building cars to it’s own design powered by a one cylinder de Dion motor.

Delage Type R, David Barker, VSCC Loton Park,

By 1910 Delage had experienced competition success and steady growth such that it had moved into it’s third premises to keep abreast of the required production capacity.

The move coincided with the launch of the Type R powered, I believe by a Delage built side valve 4 cylinder motor that produced 15 hp.

Delage Type R, David Barker, VSCC Loton Park,

The Type-R had a top speed of 40 mph with a full body equipped to deal with adverse weather.

Production of the Type R lasted until 1913 by which time the factory was manufacturing 1,000 4 and 6 cylinder vehicles a year built by 350 employees.

The Type R seen with Dave Barker at wheel at a VSCC Loton Park meeting was built in 1910.

Thanks for joining me on this “2 Lathes and 3 Employees” 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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Dick’s Voiturette ERA – ERA R1B

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Today’s featured car ERA R1B was the first of the second batch of ‘B’ spec ERA’s built between 1935 and 1938.

R1B was purchased by up and coming 22 year old Richard Seaman for the 1935 season. Richards successes included winning the Coppa Acerbo, Swiss Grand Prix and Czech Grand Prix races for 1.5 litre / 91.5 cui voiturettes.

ERA R1B, Silverstone Classic,

ERA offered to do the race preparation for R1B, but when Richard found this unsatisfactory he returned to ex Alfa Romeo driver and mechanic Giulio Ramponi who had prepared Richards Swiss GP Voiturette winning MG in 1934.

Richard switched to a Delage with success in 1936 before becoming a hired Mercedes Benz driver for the remainder of his all to brief career in 1937.

ERA, RB1, Tim Cottam, BRM Day, Bourne

R1B was sold to G.F. Manby-Colgrave who had Jazz musician “Buddy” Featherstonhaugh share the driving duties in 1936.

From 1937 to 1947 dance band leader and later TV personality Bill Cotton took over ownership of R1B.

ERA, RB1, Tim Cottam, BRM Day, Bourne

R1B has always been fitted with a supercharged 1.5 litre motor and has been kept to B specification and appearance since the Marsh family took over ownership from 1964 to 1998.

Michael Gans is currently the owner of R1B seen top at a recent Silverstone Classic meeting and in the hands of Tim Cottam, son of A L Cottam who owned R1B from ’59 to ’64, at the BRM Day run on the streets of Bourne in 2012.

Thanks for joining me on this “Dick’s Voiturette ERA” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for Maserati Monday. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Classic Europeans – Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance

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Last week I looked at some of the classic American vehicles at the Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance, today it is the turn of some of the Classic Europeans thanks to Geoffrey Horton who kindly shared his photographs.

Jaguar, de Tomaso, Ferrari, Desert Classics, Concours d'Elegance

Geoffrey’s Jaguar XK140 FHC SE/MC is seen above parked alongside the unique De Tomaso Sport 5000 which was raced once and retired from the 1966 Grand Prix di Mugello and the Replica Ferrari Testa Rossa I looked at on Friday.

Delage D8 Letourneur et Marchand, Desert Classics, Concours d'Elegance

In 1935 Louis Delage had to liquidate the Delage company he founded in 1905 and sold the marque to Delahaye. The first Delage of the Delahaye era 4.7 liter / 286 cui straight eight powered D8-120 twelve chassis of which were sent to LeTourneur et Marchand where stunning 18′ Aerosport Coupe Coachwork was fitted, the 1937 example above is one of eight known to remain.

SIATA Daina Gran Sport, Desert Classics, Concours d'Elegance

For some reason my blog on the SIATA 208S proved one of the most popular I have ever written to date, the 1951 SIATA Daina Gran Sport above was a FIAT based Special predecessor of the 208 powered by a modified FIAT motor with a unique to model overhead camshaft and twin carburetors which increased the power from 60hp to 72hp.

Lancia Aurelia B24 Convertible, Desert Classics, Concours d'Elegance

Lancia manufactured the Aurelia from 1950 through to 1958, from 1956 Lancia built just 521 B24 Convertibles like the 1957 example seen above.

Mercedes Benz 300 SL Coupé, Desert Classics, Concours d'Elegance

In 1963 Mercedes Benz was winding down production of it 300 SL Coupé derived 300SL Roadster building just 26 of the latter, above is one of just seven 1963 300 SL Roadsters thought to have been built for the European market.

Porsche 911 Adamowicz Trans Am Tribute, Desert Classics, Concours d'Elegance

Tony Adamowicz dominated the up to 2 litre / 122 cui class of the 1968 Trans Am series winning eight out of ten races to seal the championship, above is a Porsche 911 Adamowicz Trans Am Tribute car built by the same team who built the original.

Citroen 2CV6 Beachcomber, Desert Classics, Concours d'Elegance

In 1990 I was driving through a small town in Surrey when I spotted A 1983 Citroen 2CV6 Beachcomber for sale in a drive. Having bought and sold several of these cars I had no hesitation in pulling over to check it out. It was not in the same condition as the one seen above but I bought it there and then anyway and over the next couple of years drove it 36,OOO miles extremely happy miles across Europe.

Maserati MC12 Stradale, Desert Classics, Concours d'Elegance

On the 1st of December 1914 the Maserati brothers, Alfieri, Bindo, Carlo, Ettore, and Ernesto established the company, featured on this blog every Monday, bearing their name. FIAT became the current owners of the company in 1993 and in 2004 after an official 4 decade absence from racing Maserati returned to the tracks with the MC12 Corsa. The MC12 Stradale is the road going version heavily based on the running gear of the faster Ferrari Enzo. Like the Enzo all 50 MC12s were pre sold.

Morgan Aero 8, Desert Classics, Concours d'Elegance

Finally a sad tale soon after this photo of a Morgan Aero was taken it was involved in a collision with a truck. Fortunately no one was hurt but the Morgan was left much the worse for wear.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing his photographs.

Thanks for joining me on this “Classic Europeans” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a vintage Plymouth. Don’t forget to come back now !

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1914 Indy Winner – Delage Y

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Continuing this months series of blogs celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 today’s photograph by Ed Arnaudin was taken in 1964 and shows the most famous of the Delage Y’s which, in the hands of Rene Thomas, won the 4th running of the Indy 500 in 1914.

Indy64 6s

Designed by Arthur Michelat four Y models are thought to have been built between 1913 and 1914 at the Delage factory on Boulevard de Verdun in Courbevoie in NW Paris.

This one was fitted with a 113 hp, 4 cylinder 4.5 litre 275 cui motor, featuring 4 valves per cylinder, was connected to a 5 speed gearbox making it one of the most advanced racing cars of it’s time.

In 1913 Paul Bablot drove the pictured vehicle to victory in the, latter of two, French Grand Prix held at Le Mans.

With support from British journalist in Paris WF Bradley, the Indianapolis 500 attracted the first foreign entries in 1913 which in 1914 included two Delage Y’s, the 2nd Delage driven by Albert Guyot placed 3rd in the race.

Rene Thomas prior to winning the Indianapolis 500 at his first attempt is also known for surviving the worlds first mid air collision near Milan in 1910 after his Antoinette monoplane ‘fell’ onto the Farman biplane of Captain Bertram Dickson who was not so lucky.

Thomas went on to record a land speed record of 143 mph in 1924 at Arpajon south of Paris aboard another Delage. Amazingly after a full life of risk taking Rene Thomas died aged 89 in 1975.

The story goes that as this winning car was being loaded on to a ship to return to France it was purchased and ultimately remained in the USA. The car was later ‘found’ by Edgar L. Roy a founding member of the Vintage Sports Car Club of America and restored by him prior to the car finding it’s way to the IMS Hall of Fame Museum.

My thanks to Steve Arnaudin for sending me the scan of his Dad’s photo and to E.B. of The Nostalgia Forum for identifying this vehicle.

I hope you have enjoyed today’s 1914 edition of ‘Getting a lil psycho on tyres’ and that you’ll join me again tomorrow for a look at a 1915 White Squadron Stutz. Don’t for get to come back now !

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