Delahaye cabriolet brought out of hiding
Unlike many other manufacturers, Delahaye started life as a car maker and exhibited its first vehicle in Paris in 1895. Its long competition involvement began with town-totown racing from 1896-1902, then in 1934 it re-entered motorsport with the Jean François-designed 135 model. Delahaye didn’t have its own coachbuilding department, so chassis were sent out to the likes of Figoni et Falaschi, Henri Chapron and Marcel Portout.
One 135M chassis was ordered on 26 December 1938 and sent to carrossier Letourneur et Marchand of Paris on 23 March 1939. After that there is a gap in its history until it was purchased in Connecticut, USA, in 1960, where its new owner was something of a hoarder. There it remained until it was recently purchased and offered for sale by the Beverly Hills Car Club (beverlyhillscarclub.com).
The construction of the car would have been completed around the time of the ‘Phoney War’, and it could have been shipped to the USA at that time, risking attack by a German U-boat, or it more likely stayed in Europe, hidden from invading forces. No doubt it reappeared after the war and may have been acquired by a serviceman who subsequently brought it back to the USA with him.
This roadgoing Delahaye cabriolet was one of a pair of cars built together by Letourneur et Marchand, but the other has since disappeared. It is a four-seater model fitted with optional Rudge knock-off wire wheels and a Cotal preselector transmission. Having been sitting unused for 62 years the straight-six engine was seized, but an internal borescope inspection could find nothing wrong and it has since been freed and turned over, although no attempt has yet been made to start it.