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1937 Delahaye Type 145 news, pictures, and information | ||
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 |  |  | Grand Prix Chassis Num: 48771 |
The car is powered by a 4.5-liter, 3-cam, overhead valve, all magnesium block, V12 engine, developing 220 horsepower coupled to a four-speed manual competition transmission. It has a top speed of 165 mph.
No more than a dozen or so of these magnificent 4.5-liter V12s were made, but the chassis have changed hands repeatedly over the years with many fascinating modifications.
It was raced by World Champion Race Driver, Rene Dreyfus in 1937: took 1st place in 1938 Grand Prix de Cork Ireland and Grand Prix dePau, France; 4th at the 1938 Mille Miglia, 1939 Grand Prix de P.A.C.F., 1939 Grand Prix d'Allemagne, Nurburgring, 1996 Mille Miglia, and the 1998 and 1999 Lagunda Seca race.
| | | Grand Prix Chassis Num: 48771 |
The V12 engine was only 67.5cm long with a conventional one piece crankshaft mounted in seven white metal bearings. To make the engine as light as possible, the cylinder heads were made of an aluminum alloy and the block was cast in a magnesium alloy, a technique few have dared to follow. Each row of cylinders was served by three carburetors placed on top of the engine. The valves were operated by pushrods and rockers (1 central and 2 side camshafts). The car retained the Type 135 front suspension. While the car was top modern at the front, the rear end was antique. To reduce drag, the semi-elliptic leaf springs were mounted flush to the chassis. That created problems as the springs were at an angle to each other and not perpendicular to the axle.
A totally new body was made for the car. With its blunt nose, it created quite a sensation when shown for the first time at the Montlhery track on June 25, 1937. Rene Dreyfus later admitted that it was the most awful looking the car he'd ever seen.
In 1937, the French Fonds de Course, an organization aiming to put France back into GP racing, announced that 1 million francs should go to the French car (built to the 1938 formula) that could run 200km at a speed exceeding 146.5km/h (by the widest margin) on the Montlhery track before September 1, 1937. On August 27, Dreyfus, with a special built Delahaye T145, took the record with a 146.654 km/h run, earning the million for the team. Lucy Schell ordered a white & red line to be painted at an angle over the body on all the cars to celebrate the event. This car also had victories at the Pau and Cork GP in early 1938.
The Delahaye type 145 V12 was created for a specific purpose and inspired by a one million Franc reward. In 1937 the French government along with the French Automobile Club offered 400,000 Francs reward to any French manufacturer who could create a vehicle that could travel 200 km at with an average speed of 146.508 km/hr. All of this had to be done before the end of March in 1937. By doing this, the Alfa Romeo record would be broken. There was another stipulation before the award could be collected. The vehicle would need to comply with the Grand Prix regulations which went into effect on the first day of 1938. The engine size was limited to 3 liters for a forced induction engine and 4.5 liters for a naturally aspirated variant. This was a monumental challenge, one that pitted that inspired by bragging rights.
The only people to approach the challenge were a group of French alloy producers. All they brought to the table was some extra cash, raising the reward to a one million Francs (about $960,000 US dollars in modern times). The deadline was extended to August 31st. The Germans had dominated grand prix racing so the vehicle to receive the cash prize would also have to be able to defeat the Germans.
This inspired the appetites of marques such as Bugatti Delahaye, and Talbot Lago. Instead of modifying existing materials, Delahaye had created a completely new engine. Talbot Lago retired from the challenge rather quickly, while Bugatti had begun work on modifying one of their pre-existing engines. Delahaye was renowned for their abilities to create low-slung vehicles that were stately, stylish, and suited for the elite in society. They had also built a reputation for their racing chassis. In response to the challenge, Delahaye created a racer powered by a magnesium V12 engine and driven by René Dreyfus was able to break the record with an average speed of 146.654 km/hr. The vehicle did not look the part of a champion. It had arrived at the track just days before the deadline expired. Its bodyshell was unappealing and unpainted. It did not take long to gain the respect and admiration of the fans as it raced around the track and into the history books. After the race, the vehicle was slightly modified and given a paint job. Three additional racers were created.
The requirements to win the prize money stated that a supercharger was allowed, but the engine capacity would be about a liter smaller than a naturally aspirated version. The supercharger probably would have produced more horsepower but Delahaye had no experience with working with this technology. Time constraints meant that they had no time to learn. So they stuck with what they knew and focused much attention on improving the aerodynamics of their racer and reducing weight wherever possible. Instead of the conventional cast-iron block, they used lightweight alloys throughout the engine block and heads; this was only the beginning. To make the engine more compact, they looked at designs and techniques used throughout the industry. Riley had created an engine that used a total of three camshafts. Two were located on both sides of the block for the exhaust valves and one located inside the V for the intake valves. By utilizing this design and adding three Stromberg carburetors, the engine produced over 220 horsepower.
A Delahaye Type 135 served as the basis for the tubular ladder frame chassis. The suspension was fairly standard with a live rear axle and wishbones in the front.
In 1938 at Pau, France, the vehicle driven by a Frenchman was able to defeat the German Mercedes-Benz Type W 154. Another victory was scored against the powerful Italian Maserati at Cork, Ireland. Their winning streak came to an end when the other marques caught up with the new regulations. Mercedes-Benz had created a three-liter supercharged racer that was very powerful and the Type 145 had trouble competing.
With the onset of World War II the vehicle was disassembled and stored away from the invading German army. After the war, the car was reassembled but the identity of the winner of the million franc prize was lost. It was not until recently that historian and author Richard S. Adatto and Diana E. Meredith were able to locate information pertaining to the winning chassis number.
'We traveled to France and during a visit to the French National Archives we found a previously unnoticed notation that the chassis of the Million Franc car was number 48771' said Adatto. 'Clues were provided by René Dreyfus himself,' said Meredith. 'He was very clear that every effort had been made to lighten each piece of the winning chassis, resulting in unique physical characteristics.'
Peter Mullin of Los Angeles, CA had purchased one of the Type 145 models but at the time it was unknown which one had been the prize winner. During a restoration, in which Richard Adatto was assisting, in preparation for the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the number 48771 was found on the top surface of the left frame rail. The winning chassis had been located. The vehicle is currently in restored condition.
By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2007
The only people to approach the challenge were a group of French alloy producers. All they brought to the table was some extra cash, raising the reward to a one million Francs (about $960,000 US dollars in modern times). The deadline was extended to August 31st. The Germans had dominated grand prix racing so the vehicle to receive the cash prize would also have to be able to defeat the Germans.
This inspired the appetites of marques such as Bugatti Delahaye, and Talbot Lago. Instead of modifying existing materials, Delahaye had created a completely new engine. Talbot Lago retired from the challenge rather quickly, while Bugatti had begun work on modifying one of their pre-existing engines. Delahaye was renowned for their abilities to create low-slung vehicles that were stately, stylish, and suited for the elite in society. They had also built a reputation for their racing chassis. In response to the challenge, Delahaye created a racer powered by a magnesium V12 engine and driven by René Dreyfus was able to break the record with an average speed of 146.654 km/hr. The vehicle did not look the part of a champion. It had arrived at the track just days before the deadline expired. Its bodyshell was unappealing and unpainted. It did not take long to gain the respect and admiration of the fans as it raced around the track and into the history books. After the race, the vehicle was slightly modified and given a paint job. Three additional racers were created.
The requirements to win the prize money stated that a supercharger was allowed, but the engine capacity would be about a liter smaller than a naturally aspirated version. The supercharger probably would have produced more horsepower but Delahaye had no experience with working with this technology. Time constraints meant that they had no time to learn. So they stuck with what they knew and focused much attention on improving the aerodynamics of their racer and reducing weight wherever possible. Instead of the conventional cast-iron block, they used lightweight alloys throughout the engine block and heads; this was only the beginning. To make the engine more compact, they looked at designs and techniques used throughout the industry. Riley had created an engine that used a total of three camshafts. Two were located on both sides of the block for the exhaust valves and one located inside the V for the intake valves. By utilizing this design and adding three Stromberg carburetors, the engine produced over 220 horsepower.
A Delahaye Type 135 served as the basis for the tubular ladder frame chassis. The suspension was fairly standard with a live rear axle and wishbones in the front.
In 1938 at Pau, France, the vehicle driven by a Frenchman was able to defeat the German Mercedes-Benz Type W 154. Another victory was scored against the powerful Italian Maserati at Cork, Ireland. Their winning streak came to an end when the other marques caught up with the new regulations. Mercedes-Benz had created a three-liter supercharged racer that was very powerful and the Type 145 had trouble competing.
With the onset of World War II the vehicle was disassembled and stored away from the invading German army. After the war, the car was reassembled but the identity of the winner of the million franc prize was lost. It was not until recently that historian and author Richard S. Adatto and Diana E. Meredith were able to locate information pertaining to the winning chassis number.
'We traveled to France and during a visit to the French National Archives we found a previously unnoticed notation that the chassis of the Million Franc car was number 48771' said Adatto. 'Clues were provided by René Dreyfus himself,' said Meredith. 'He was very clear that every effort had been made to lighten each piece of the winning chassis, resulting in unique physical characteristics.'
Peter Mullin of Los Angeles, CA had purchased one of the Type 145 models but at the time it was unknown which one had been the prize winner. During a restoration, in which Richard Adatto was assisting, in preparation for the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the number 48771 was found on the top surface of the left frame rail. The winning chassis had been located. The vehicle is currently in restored condition.
By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2007
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 1937
Delahaye
models |
| Delahaye 135M |
| Delahaye Type 145 Chapron |
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| Delahaye: 1931-1940 |
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