1939 Delage D6-70

Louis Delage was in charge of his business from its founding in 1905 to its liquidation at the height of the Great Depression. He was a graduate of the École Nationale d'Arts et Métiers and worked for two years at Peugeot before starting his own Paris firm in partnership with engineer Augustin Legros. On many occasions, it has been proven the racing strengthens and promotes the brand, a philosophy that Delage believed, and his vehicle's successes on the track were rewarded with increased sales. Their popularity flourished by taking 2nd place at the 1906 Coupe des Voiturettes de L'Auto, and rapid expansion followed. Victories at the Grand Prix du Mans and the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race were achieved prior to WWI.

After World War I, Delage emerged in good financial stature due to wartime profits. It allowed the company to establish a line of luxury automobiles and to feed its racing habit. They were competitive in Grand Prix racing in the 1920s and set a new World Land Speed Record mark in 1927 with a 10.7-liter overhead-valve V12. They won the 1927 Grand Prix World Championship at an almost crippling expense. With depleted funds, Delage turned his attention to engineering chassis and drivetrains that would be bodied by Europe's most skillful and leading coachbuilders.

The company's financial hemorrhaging continued into the 1930s and by 1935 the company was forced to liquidate its assets, which were eventually purchased by Delahaye. The first new product under the Delahaye banner was the D8-120. It was built atop a Delahaye chassis and the only 8-cylinder-powered car in the Delage / Delahaye range.

Introduced in 1937, the Delage D6-70 was built to Delahaye designs but used their own short-stroke engines and hydraulic brakes. The 2,729cc overhead-valve six-cylinder engine was mated to a Cotal electrically operated four-speed gearbox. Among the accolades was a victory at the Tourist Trophy at Donington Park in 1938 and a pair of second places finishes at the 24 Hours of LeMans.

British-born Walter Watney, Delage's chief, left France in 1942. Louis Delage left the company in 1935 and would die at the end of 1947.

Following World War II, Delage - still in the hands of Delahaye, resumed production with the D6 3-Liter, positioned below the larger and more powerful Delahaye models. While most automakers resumed production using mildly updated versions of its pre-War products, the Delage D6 was now powered by a 2984cc straight-6 engine offering 90 horsepower at 3,800 RPM, a slight decrease from the pre-war D6-70, possibly due to the lower octanes of fuel available. Production of the 3-Liter continued until 1954, built atop the same 3,150mm platform of its previous D6 siblings since 1935. A longer 3,330 mm version was available for Limousines and larger style cars.

The Delage D6 Olympic was a performance version of the 3-liter that used the same engine block but with a triple (instead of a single) carburetor setup. It delivered 100 horsepower at 4,500 RPM and, depending on the coachwork, was capable of nearly 90 mph. Production of the Delage D6 Olympic was brief, offered only in 1948 and 1949.

Both Delage and Delahaye succumbed to the post-WWII French economy that did not favor large cars. Even Henry Ford sold his French auto-production business to Simca in 1954, and Delahaye was taken over by Hotchkiss in 1955.

by Daniel Vaughan | May 2019