1936 Delahaye Type 135 at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

Prewar Delahaye

European Classic 1925-1939 Closed

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European Classic 1936-1939 Open Late

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Mid-Engined Show Cars, Prototypes, and Concept Cars

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Prewar Delahaye Vehicles

1936 Delahaye Type 135

1936 Delahaye Type 135 Sport

1937 Delahaye 135M

1938 Delahaye Type 135

1939 Delahaye Type 135 M

1939 Delahaye Type 165

Information on the 1936 Delahaye Type 135

More photographs of the 1936 Delahaye Type 135

Figoni & Falaschi was known for producing some of the most flamboyant, if not elegant coachwork of the French carrossiers. Joseph Figoni loved working with the designers of high fashion who created gowns, hats, gloves, and shoes that perfectly matched the designs and colors of his cars. Falaschi once said, 'We were truly couturiers of automotive coachwork, dressing and undressing a chassis one, two, or three times and even more before arriving at the definitive line that we wanted to give a specific chassis-coachwork ensemble.'

This car was ordered by Mr. Jeancart of Paris, a wealthy French industrialist who purchased many Figoni-bodied cars. It made its debut at a Paris Concours d'Elegance where it was shown by the Countess De Saint-Amour de Chanaz. It is a sister to the 1936 Paris Salon show car and one of Figoni's first fully enclosed aerodynamic creations, predating the Talbot-Lagos that he also designed.

Fifty 'competition court' short wheelbase chassis were built by Delahaye to be used for sporty two-seat bodies. This one features enclosed front and rear fenders, curved chrome teardrop-shaped accents to highlight the flowing lines of the car, and a split rear window. It is equipped with a sliding metal sunroof, a four-speed manual gearbox, and a windshield that opens at the bottom for interior ventilation.

This unique coupe with flamboyant coachwork by Figoni et Falaschi was commissioned by wealthy industrialist M. Jeancart of Paris, well-known for purchasing the first few teardrop Talbot Lagos created by the same coachbuilder. This car was specifically called 'Competition Coupe' because of its shortened factory custom 2.70-meter wheelbase. It was completed and licensed in February of 1936 under French registration number 4505RK1. Figoni et Falaschi's internal number for the car was 532, according to Claude Figoni in a 1996 interview.

The car was completed on January 14th of 1936 and shown by Comtesse de la Saint Amour de Chanaz at the Cannes Concours d'Elegance, where it won the grand prix (grand prize).

This coupe is powered by a 3557cc overhead valve, 160 horsepower, 6-cylinder engine coupled to a 4-speed manual transmission. The car has a top speed of 103 mph.

The car was sold several times in later years and, at one point, according to Delahaye club archivist, Andre Vancourt, to 1930s film star Dolores del Rio and during the 1950s to noted American collector, Judge North. Later owners included E. Alan Henderson of New Jersey and B. Paul Moser of Santa Hill & Vaughn to completely restore the car during the 1980s.

The current owners purchased the car in 2004, reinstalling the car's original engine and restoring it to its factory configuration.

Also photographed at :

The Elegance at Hershey >> European (1932-1941)

The Elegance at Hershey >> European Custom Coachwork French (1937-1953)

The Elegance at Hershey >> Best European Classic 1925-1942

The Elegance at Hershey >> French Curves: The Automobile as Sculpture

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