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1937 Delage D8 120

Louis Delage was born in 1874 in Cognac, south of France. His family had a modest income which allowed him to attend and graduate from the Ecole des Arts et Metiers in Angers in 1893. He then moved to Paris and began working with the Turgan-Foy company. Later he accepted a position with Peugeot. He left soon after to start his own company. Louis Delage began designing and building cars in 1905 with Augustin Legros as his chief engineer. Legros had left Peugeot with Delage and stayed with the company until 1935. The company focused on building cars that were of high quality and reliability. Their first cars were produced in 1906 and were called the Type A and B. The cars were powered by a single-cylinder de Dion engine producing about 6-7 horsepower.

Louis Delage was a very ambitious man who had a passion for racing and a competitive edge that led him to produce some of the greatest sports cars of the era. In 1906, he participated in the Coupe des Voiturettes and was awarded a second-place finish. This accomplished fueled sales. In 1908 he had three cars enter in the Coupe des Voiturettes race where they achieved a first-place victory.

In 1909, Delage moved away from the de Dion engines and began using their own 4-cylinder engine. However, some of the models they produced did use engines produced by the famous engine supplier, Ballot. During the 1920s, the company's mainstay of touring car production revolved around its four-cylinder DI and six-cylinder DM models.

1937 Delage D8 120 photo
Aero Coupe by Pourtout
Chassis #: 51620
View info and history
Delage was not immune to the Great Depression and suffered during the economic downturn of the early 1930s. In 1935, the company was taken over, and although Louis Delage remained on the board of the new company, from then onwards, Delages would be built to Delahaye designs. The sole survivor of the existing Delage range was the Arthur Louis Michelat-designed six-cylinder D6-60 engine which continued to be produced until 1953.

The final pre-war model by Delage was the D8 120 fitted with a 4.7-liter straight eight based on the six-cylinder Delahaye 135 engine.

The Delage D8
At the 1929 Paris Salon, Delage launched the Maurice Gaultier-designed D8 featuring a 4.0-liter overhead-valve straight eight installed in an X-braced chassis with servo-assisted brakes at all four corners. The generous proportions, sophisticated engine, and modern mechanical componentry would attract Europe's finest coachbuilders, including Letourneur et Marchand, Vanden Plas, Saoutchik, Labourdette, Freestone & Webb, Barker, Pourtout, Fernandez & Darrin, Chapron, and Figoni. For clientele seeking a more modest mode of transportation, Delage's portfolio included the 14hp DS and 17hp D6 six-cylinder models - the latter was essentially a D8 with two fewer cylinders.

The 'D8 Normale' was offered in three wheelbase sizes of 124.7-, 136.6-, and 160.1 inches. The 'D8 S' rested on a short-wheelbase chassis and received a higher specification engine. The suspension used a traditional setup of rigid axles and semi-elliptic leaf springs with 'friction dampers.'

1937 Delage D8 120 photo
Aerosport Coupe
Chassis #: 50789
Engine #: 812041
View info and history
Auction entries : 2
The straight-8 engine displaced 4,061cc and featured an overhead centrally positioned camshaft with an output of 102 horsepower at 3,500 RPM or 120 hp in 'D8 S' configuration. The engine was paired with a four-speed manual gearbox with synchromesh on the upper two ratios.

More Affordable Options
During the height of the Great Depression, Delage introduced a model dubbed the 'D8-15' with a smaller 8-cylinder engine. This model was intended to boost sales to quantities similar to those of Citroën and other volume automakers. With a displacement size of 2,668cc, the '-15' suffix in the model name represented the 15 CV car tax band in which the smaller engine placed the car. Like the more powerful (23CV) version, the D8-15 was available in 'Normale' and 'S' specifications.

The Delage D8-15 was produced in 1933 and 1934.

1937 Delage D8 120 photo
Drop Head Coupe by Henri Chapron
Chassis #: 51624
Engine #: 51624
View info and history
Auction entries : 2
With the D8-15 leaving the lineup, Delage quickly introduced two new versions of the D8-85 and the D8-105. This time, the suffix in the model name represented the engine's output. The 3,570cc engine powering the D8-85 produced 85 horsepower at 4,000 RPM, and the 3,570cc version in the D8-105 was tuned to deliver 105 horsepower. Like the 'S' specification of its forebearers, the more potent D8-105 version rested on a shortened 129.8-inch wheelbase chassis. The D8-85 was offered in 133 and 140.9-inch sizes.

The demise of the D8-85 and D8-105 coincided with the closure of the Delage plant at Courbevoie.

Delahaye Ownership
The first Delage D8 model produced at the Delahaye Paris plant under the new arrangements was the D8-100. Its eight-cylinder engine displaced 4,302cc and produced a fiscal horsepower rating of 25 CV (approximately 90 horsepower). By 1937, output had risen to 105 hp at 3,500 RPM, and a Cotal pre-selector transmission was now standard (previously an option). Wheelbase sizes included a 143 and 132-inch option.

1937 Delage D8 120 photo
Aerosport Coupe
View info and history

The Delage D8 120


The Delage D8 120 was introduced shortly after Delahaye acquired the Delage company. It received numerous Delahaye components and its new D8 chassis was a low-slung boxed-steel frame with an 11-foot wheelbase. The new aluminum eight-cylinder engine was a 4.7-litre straight eight based on the six-cylinder Delahaye 135 engine (essentially a D8-100 with a 4mm increase in its bore diameter). The engine was concealed under a long hood that spanned the distance between the radiator and the cowl.

The engine was mounted upon a sturdy frame with advanced front suspension incorporating a transverse leaf spring. The Cotal electromagnetic transmission which, after first gear, can be shifted without depressing the clutch. The transmission and suspension design were both influenced by Delage's parent company, Delahaye.

The D8-120S, with the 'S' representing surbaisse or low-slung featured a lowered chassis, larger wheels, and a more aggressive and better-handling suspension.

1937 Delage D8 120 photo
Deltasport Cabriolet by Henri Chapron
Chassis #: 51629
Engine #: 5454
View info and history
Auction entries : 1
With a chassis price of 105,800 francs, the Delage D8 120 was approximately 60 percent above that of the Delahaye. Also of note is that the D8 engine was used by the French in their Hotchkiss H39 fast-reconnaissance light tank.


by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2008

Related Reading : Delage D8 History

Louis Delage was born in 1874 and was handicapped by blindness in one eye. This handicap would not hinder him at all in creating some of the most elegant and beautiful creations of the pre-WWII era, and into the early 1950s. He acquired his engineering abilities while working for Peugeot. He worked with the company until 1905 when he left to build cars bearing his own name. Delage had strong loyalty....
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1937 Delage D8 120 Vehicle Profiles

1937 Delage D8 120 vehicle information
Three Position Drophead Coupé

Coachwork: Henri Chapron
Chassis #: 50790
1937 Delage D8 120 vehicle information
Roadster

Coachwork: deVillars
Chassis #: 51626
1937 Delage D8 120 vehicle information
Aerosport Coupe

Designer: Letourneur et Marchand
1937 Delage D8 120 vehicle information
Aero Coupe

Coachwork: Pourtout
Designer: Georges Paulin
Chassis #: 51620
1937 Delage D8 120 vehicle information
Aerosport Coupe

Designer: Letourneur et Marchand
1937 Delage D8 120 vehicle information
Drop Head Coupe

Coachwork: Henri Chapron
Chassis #: 51624
Engine #: 51624
1937 Delage D8 120 vehicle information
Deltasport Cabriolet

Coachwork: Henri Chapron
Chassis #: 51629
Engine #: 5454
1937 Delage D8 120 vehicle information
Aerosport Coupe

Designer: Letourneur et Marchand
Chassis #: 50789
Engine #: 812041
Vin #: DEL5078937

Recent Vehicle Additions

Performance and Specification Comparison

D8-120

Specification Comparison by Year

Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
133.40 in.
8 cyl., 262.59 CID., 105.00hp
130.00 in., 133.00 in., 133.20 in.
8 cyl., 274.61 CID., 115.00hp
8 cyl., 289.86 CID., 120.00hp
130.00 in.
8 cyl., 262.40 CID., 95.00hp
130.00 in.
8 cyl., 274.61 CID., 115.00hp
130.00 in.
8 cyl., 274.61 CID., 115.00hp

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