1939 Delahaye Type 135 MS Speciale Drophead

This 1939 Delahaye 135MS Cabriolet was originally ordered by the wealthy Parisian socialite, Madame Lucienne Benitez-Rexach, who, prior to her marriage to a wealthy Puerto Rican businessman, was a French singer better known as 'La Mome Moineau' (The Little Sparrow). Renowned for yachting with Picasso and skinny-dipping with her elite friends, Benitez-Rexach exercised expensive tase and ordered the Delahaye, with its 3.5 liter, triple-carburetor inline-6 with a Cotal preselect gearbox. She enlisted Paris' most exclusive coachbuilder, Figoni et Falaschi, to create this cabriolet body. The Delahaye remained in France for most of its life where it was restored in 2015 to its original specification and colors, just as Madame Rexach had ordered it.

This Delahaye is a superb expression of Figoni's artistry in creating a four-passenger convertible. It may be understated by Figoni standards, but is arresting and elegant. Still in possession of its original engine, chassis, and coachwork, this Delahaye has been restored to the exact specification as ordered by Mme. Benitez-Rexach.

In 2016, the freshly restored Delahaye was flown from France to the United States, where it participated in a special class invitational display of Delahayes at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, winning the coveted French Cup awarded for the most significant car of French origin.

Delahaye had its beginnings in the late 19th century in Tours, France. Delahaye automobile manufacturing would be established in 1894 by Emile Delahaye. The company would soon gain a reputation for their reliable trucks. The company wanted to change their reputation.

Delahaye would set to work designing a new and exciting car. Jean Francois, the company's designer, would start with a 3.2-liter straight-six engine that had been created based upon one of the company's successful truck engines. From there he would design a car around it. In 1935, Francois and Delahaye would introduce the 135, which was also known as 'Coupe des Alpes'.

The 135 would feature independent, leaf-sprung front suspension and a live rear axle. The car's engine could produce 95 hp with twin carburetors, but that number could go up to 110 hp with three downdraught Solex carburetors. Applying the power to the wheels came via either a four-speed Cotal pre-selector or a four-speed manual that was partially synchronized.

The car would immediately catch the eye of many racers and the car would enjoy a good deal of success. But it would get even better when the 'M' model, which stood for competition version, was introduced in 1936. This model 135 would have a larger bore 3.5-liter engine with triple carburetors. Now the Delahaye 135 could reach speeds of around 110 mph and had the reliability to take full advantage of it.

Delahaye had begun to change its image. It would be taken a step further when 'Grand Carrosseries', like Figoni et Falaschi, would begin designing exquisitely elegant bodywork over the sporty 135 frame. One such example of the body styles to have been so beautifully mated to the raw performance was what would become known as the 135MS 'Speciale'.
Only five of such bodywork styling was ever known to be constructed and the only known example to have survived would cross the block at the RM Auction in Monterey in August of 2011.

Born of simple origins like Delahaye, 'La Morne Moineau' had her beginnings in poverty. She would sell flowers in nightclubs and would be heard singing as she traveled the streets. Her signing would eventually cause her to be discovered by Paul Poiret and she would be vaulted to fame as she would begin singing in Parisian nightclubs.

She would eventually make her way to Broadway where she would meet and marry Felix Benitez. From then on her turnaround would be made complete. She would go from rags to what some believed to be the richest woman in the world during the 1930s. Besides her yacht, villas and her own private DC3 airplane, La Morne Moineau would also come to own chassis number 60173, the very example that would go up for auction this year.

Seen in the United States for the first time ever, this car has earned numerous awards over the years in events in France and went through restoration in the late 1980s to retain its elegance. Complete with a distinctive three-position top, vast amounts of research conducted by Claude Figoni and known to be the only remaining example of the 'Speciale', the car was expected to earn between $950,000 and $1,250,000 at auction.

Besides its brilliant finish and tan leather interior complete with beautiful wood accents and instrument panel, the car comes complete with a treasure chest full of history. Not only does the car turn heads, but because of its history, it has the ability to touch hearts as well. At the auction, bidding reached $800,000 but was not enough to satisfy the reserve. It would leave the auction unsold.

Sources:
'Feature Lots: Lot No. 275: 1939 Delahaye 135MS 'Speciale' by Figoni et Falaschi', (http://www.rmauctions.com/FeatureCars.cfm?SaleCode=MO11&CarID=r299&fc=0#). RM Auctions. http://www.rmauctions.com/FeatureCars.cfm?SaleCode=MO11&CarID=r299&fc=0#. Retrieved 16 August 2011.

'Delahaye: 1939 Delahaye Type 135MS', (http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z13282/Delahaye-Type-135-MS.aspx). Conceptcarz.com: From Concept to Production. http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z13282/Delahaye-Type-135-MS.aspx. Retrieved 16 August 2011.

Wikipedia contributors, 'Delahaye', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 12 August 2011, 09:38 UTC, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Delahaye&oldid=444413674 accessed 16 August 2011

Wikipedia contributors, 'Delahaye 135', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 12 August 2011, 10:13 UTC, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Delahaye_135&oldid=444416991 accessed 16 August 2011

By Jeremy McMullen