1914 Delage Type A-1

In 1905, at the age of 31, Louis Delage founded the company that would bear his name for the next 30 years, establishing a reputation for automotive excellence and elegance the world over. His creations would be in demand wherever people wanted to travel with speed and style.

His first effort was a pair of small, light voiturettes for the Paris Salon of 1905. At their core, they had an off-the-shelf 1059-cc single-cylinder De Dion Bouton engine. Nonetheless, they were well received. Delage then entered two cars in the 1906 Coup des Voiturettes de l'Auto competition. One hit a tree, but the other finished in second ahead of a Peugeot team car.

Gradually, of course, Delage broadened his offerings.

This very early example of a Delage (chassis 4663, engine 46634) is model A1, first produced in 1912. It featured a 2,292-cc, 4-cylinder, side-valve engine with a bore and stroke of 75x130. This engine is paired with a 4-speed transmission.

Atop this chassis rests a spectacular body by G. Gillote Carrossier of Levallois, France. The car was created especially for the 1914 Paris Auto Show, and it is clear with just one glance that the coachbuilder took painstaking care in crafting even the smallest details.

The car was first purchased by M. Antoine Mercier, a furniture maker and dealer located at the Palais de Mabre, 77 Champs-Elysees in Paris. The Mercier family owned this car until 1956 when it was purchased by A. Nefkens for a Dutch auto museum. The car was initially on display in unrestored original condition. Then in 1985, it was restored.

George Dragone purchased this vehicle in 2001.