For Sale: 1949 Delahaye 135M in Saint Louis, Missouri for sale in Saint Louis, MO
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/.
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/.
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