1939 Delage D8-120 Cabriolet

This luxurious cabriolet, bodied by master coachbuilder Henri Chapron, has at its base one of the last of the D8-120 series chassis to be built before World War II ended production. The chassis (51980) was built in 1939, but it remained unsold and was hidden in Paris throughout the ensuing conflict.

In 1946, the chassis was finally fitted with the body it deserved - a body with long flowing lines and subtle curves, accented by Valentine Capri blue paintwork and rich red fender skirts.

The completed car was breathtaking to behold, a thing of beauty that not only caught the eye, but kept it. And that was no accident; Delahaye had ordered the special cabriolet for its display at the 1946 Paris Auto Show. But its appearance there has not been confirmed.

It seems the car remained in the possession of Delahaye until July 1948, when it was shipped overseas to Egypt. Its history abroad is uncertain, but it eventually passed into the hands of auto aficionado Roger Grier in the United States. It was subsequently owned by Cal Bedell, Manny Dragone, Alfredo Brenner, and Dr. Joseph A. Murphy. Tony Vincent purchased the car a few years back and has completely restored it.

In addition to its fine chassis and beautiful body, this car's interior is also note-worthy. The fine wood-grained dashboard has a full complement of instruments dominated by a Jaeger tachometer and speedometer. Beside the steering wheel is the Cotal shifter. A novelty of these gearboxes is the ability to use all four gears in reverse!