1938 Delahaye Type 135 Roadster

This Grand Sport Roadster is one of the most striking and perfectly proportioned Figoni & Falaschi designs ever built on a Delahaye 135 MS chassis. It underlines the oft-forgotten fact that Figoni made his fortune by creating coachwork for automobiles that were required for everyday transport. This example, with its understated fenders and open front wheels, is exceptionally well-balanced.

This car was commissioned in 1939 by a Monsieur Jeantet in Paris. The car was delivered to Mr. Jeantet in March of 1939. This exceptionally well-balanced automobile had an aluminum hood, doors, trunk lid, and fenders (currently finished in Andalusian Red). It was displayed at several exuberant features and is finished in a vibrant Andalouse red. After the war, the car was sold to collector Peter Agg, who campaigned it in numerous international rallies. The events included the Monte Carlo Rally in 1983, and in Morocco, Avid de Grande Marque in France, and has been to Czechoslovakia, Italy, Austria and Essen in Germany. British collector Hugh Taylor later undertook a frame-off restoration with the help of expert Jim Stokes. Taylor owned the car until March 2007 before selling it at Coys Auction to the late John O'Quinn. A restoration soon followed. The car was sold at RM Auctions, Villa d'Este, in May 2011, to the current owners. In order to compete at the highest levels of Concours d'Elegance, the new owners commissioned Pual Russell and Company to restore the car cosmetically and mechanically in 2014.

Figoni & Falaschi-bodied Delahayes are considered to be some of the finest prewar sports cars exhibiting an Art Deco flair. Of the Delahayes bodied by Figoni, 69 were cabriolets, and only one Torpedo Cabriolet was ever built on a Delahaye chassis. According to Claude Figoni, son of Joseph Figoni, this Delahaye presents as it did on delivery in 1939.

As Bugatti began scaling down their racing activities to focus on their Type 57 road-going production car, they left the arena open for other marques to backfill the loss of sports and racing cars. Delahaye's Type 135 was one of the contenders to fill the spot. These vehicles were capable of achieving 100 mph and could race from zero-to-sixty in thirteen seconds, a rather impressive accomplishment at the time.

The 135M was the competition version which was first offered in 1936. By increasing the bore and adding triple carburetors and dual exhausts, the vehicle's sporty persona was improved even further. The 135MS added larger exhaust valves and had a top speed of about 110 mph.

In the 1936 French Grand Prix, the Delahaye automobiles placed second through fifth positions. The following year they placed second in the Grand Prix.

In 1938, Delahaye introduced their paragon of sports cars, the 4.5-liter V12 Type 145 with three overhead cams. The engine produced nearly 240 horsepower.

The Delahaye company prospered for many years. As World War II neared, the company began to suffer due to national taxation policies. In 1954 they were taken over by Hotchkiss and brought the production of the Delahaye automobile to a halt.

This 1939 Delahaye 135 MS Grand Sport Tourer with coachwork by Figoni Et Falaschi was offered for sale at the 2006 Gooding & Company Auction held in Pebble Beach, Ca. The car is powered by a 3557-cc OHV six-cylinder engine that is capable of producing 160 horsepower. It has a four-speed manual gearbox and a transverse leaf-independent front suspension.

This one-off Delahaye was first owned by Monsieur Jeantet of Paris. The car changed ownership several times after World War II. It has been driven in international rallies and featured in numerous books and magazines.

The car has been treated to a full restoration including a full engine rebuild. The door handles are blended into the sweeping chrome trim work. There is a fully enclosed trunk-mounted spare. The rear wheels are nearly fully enclosed.

At the auction, this car was sold and accounted for one of the highest sales of the day. Its new owner purchased the car for 1,100,000.

A few months later, the car was offered for sale at the 2007 RM Auctions held in Amelia Island, Florida. The estimated value of the car at this time was $1,100,000 - $1,400,000. The car was sold for $1,347,500.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2007