1953 Delahaye Type 178

Delahaye's existence following World War II was brief, ending in the early 1950s and closing the chapter on a long and illustrious career of building some of the finest automobiles of its era. Post-war models included the Type 135M equipped with a 3.6-liter engine, the 4.5-liter Type 175, 178, and 180, and the Type 235. The Type 235 was introduced in 1952 and was the company's final luxury model. It came equipped with a refined evolution of the 135 chassis and engine, with output peaking at 160 bhp. In the front was a new grille courtesy of Philippe Charbonneaux, and many examples were clothed with elegant and dramatic (albeit flamboyant) coachwork. Just eighty-four examples were built before Delahaye production came to an end in 1954 after the company was taken over by Hotchkiss.

Delahaye was known for its powerful and sophisticated chassis, which proved to be its Achilles Heel in the post-WWII era, as the French government levied a tax on high displacement vehicles, penalizing vehicles that had a displacement size greater than 3 liters.

It is believed that 107 examples of the 4.5-liter engined chassis (Type 175, 178, and 180) were built from 1948 to 1951 (including prototypes and those built show cars). Of those, 51 were the Type 175 cars and most of those were the optional Type 175S variant. Its wheelbase measured 2.95 meters and it had an overall length of 4.62 meters. The Type 178 and 180 were similar to the 175, but rested on a longer wheelbase. Approximately 38 examples were Type 178 cars, built atop a 3.15-meter wheelbase, and around 18 were the Type 180.

The 4.5-liter chassis used semi-monocoque construction with a stressed-steel floorpan and parallel sides. In the front was an independent Dubonnet suspension system used under license. It had pivoting horizontal cylinders that contained a coil-spring and hydraulic shock absorber in an oil-bath Dubonnet. The rear suspension was by de Dion, with semi-elliptical springs. The front suspension was an all-new setup for Delahaye and replaced the proprietary system used on many of the previous models, including the D6, D8, and Type 135, 145, 148L, 155, and 165. The Dubonnet system had been popular during the pre-war era, but only Delahaye and Vauxhall used it post-WWII. Unfortunately, the system was problematic with oil-seal leaks and internal parts failures. The collapse of the front suspension, or driving accidents, severely damaged Delahaye's credibility and reputation.

The inordinately heavy and elegant coachwork amplified mechanical failures, and due to the broken suspension components, Delahaye was obliged to re-acquire their coachbuilt luxury cars, at significant expense to the company, to avoid litigation.

The inline, overhead-valve, six-cylinder engine used the same 4.5-liter displacement size as the company's previous complicated and expensive V-12 engine. Stopping power was by hydraulic drums made by Lockheed, with deeply finned cast-iron, actuated by dual master cylinders with a balance-bar.

Supplies were in high demand following the war as the world began rebuilding, and the material that did exist often did not meet Delahaye's engineer's specified grade. Instead, the company was forced to use inferior quality high-tensile-strength steel. With failing front suspensions, heavy coachwork, and inferior steel, Delahaye was unable to maintain the pedigree that it had established prior to the war. The Type 235 was introduced in 1951 but ultimately closed its doors on December 31st of 1954.

by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2022