1938 Delahaye Type 135 MS Coupe

This 1938 Delahaye is equipped with the desirable racing specification 160 hp MS engine and fitted with coachwork by Figoni 'et Falaschi. The car was first displayed by the coachbuilder on their stand at the 1938 Paris Auto Salon show. During WWII it was kept safely hidden in occupied France and not discovered until 1968 in a field near Toulon, France. The car was first restored in 1986 and acquired by the Rosso Bianco Collection in Germany. Twenty years later it was restored for the second time.

The car is powered by a 3557 cc overhead-valve 6-cylinder engine with three horizontal carburetors developing 160 hp coupled to a 4-speed manual transmission with an electromagnetic selector. The brakes are controlled by a single cable under the motor.

The placement of custom bodies on the chassis of great automobiles otherwise known as coach building reached its zenith in the 1930s. The French Delahaye was renowned for its drivability and road-holding abilities. Add its high-performance inline six-cylinder with its 160 horsepower MS configuration and you had a platform of choice for Figoni et Falaschi who made famous the Goutte d'Eau or teardrop streamliners.

This 1938 Delahaye 135 MS Coupe with coachwork by Figoni & Falaschi was displayed on the Figoni/Falaschi stand at the 1938 Paris Salon. Also on display at the time was a Delahaye V12 Roadster.

The chassis was built atop of the new 135 M Special, also known as MS, and powered by a four-main bearing 3557cc engine that was comprised of light alloy cinder heads and had an 8.4:1 compression ratio. Pushrods operated the 42 mm vertical inlet valves. The engine breathed through triple down-draft Solex carburetors and emptied into six exhaust ports which eventually feed into a single exhaust pipe. Power was rated at 125.

The car came standard with center-lock 5.50x17 Rudge-Whitworth wheels and rack-and-pinion gear for raising and lowering the side windows. The front suspension was independent, while the rear was comprised of semi-elliptic leaf springs. The drum brakes measured 14 inches in diameter and were suitable enough to keep this powerful, yet lightweight coupe in the control of its driver. There is a Cotal electromagnetic gearbox.

The immediate history after the salon is not fully known, but in the post-WWII era, it had come into the possession of Madame Michele Gautier of La Seyne-Sur-Mer. During some period in its history, the frontal area was modified with a narrower radiator grille and chrome lights on the edges of the wings, replacing the low-level lamps.

In 1964, Antoine Raffaelli came across this magnificent automobile. It was behind a reef hedge in South-West France and it took twenty-one years before Raffaelli was able to convince the owner to sell the car. Upon receiving the car in 1985, he began a complete restoration which took a couple of years to complete. It was offered for sale in 1990. Within a few years, it had made its way to the United States where it became a museum exhibit.

This car was offered for sale at the 2006 Bonhams & Butterfields auction held at the Quail Lodge in Carmel, California where it was estimated to sell between $1,000,000 - $1,300,000. At the auction, this beautiful automobile was sold, selling for $1,712,000 and exceeding the estimated value.

This Delahaye was voted Best of Show at Ault Park in 2017, and Boca Raton and Cobble Beach in 2018.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2018