1936 Delage D6-70

Delage was founded by Louis Delage in 1905 and production commenced with a single-cylinder De Dion-engined runabout, growing to multi-cylinder models within a few years. Racing would be a vital component for the company, both for publicity and as a means to test and prove the product. A single-cylinder Delage won the Coupe Des Voiturettes as early as 1908 and Louis himself taking the 1911 Coupe de l'Auto in a 3.0-liter 4-cylinder. Prior to World War I, the Delages won the Grand Prix du Mans and the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. They would become a major force in Grand Prix competition during the 1920s and set a new World Land Speed Record mark in 1924 with a 10.7-liter overhead-valve V12.

Delage's touring-car production during the 1920s revolved around the four-cylinder DI and six-cylinder DM cars. At the close of the 1920s, at the Paris Salon, Delage introduced the four-liter D8 straight-eight model which would attract some of the finest coachbuilders of the era. These prestigious vehicles were built in limited numbers, and for those of more modest means, Delage offered the 14hp DS and 17hp D6 six-cylinder models.

The Delage D6 of 1930 to 1933 was offered on either a 124- (3149mm) or 129.5-inch (3289mm) wheelbase platform and its six-cylinder engine displaced 3,045cc with an output of 75 horsepower at 3,600 RPM. Approximately 1,160 examples of the D6 were built.

The D6-11 was produced in 1933 and 1934 and was equipped with a 2,001cc (75x75.5mm), short-stroke, overhead-valve engine paired with a four-speed synchromesh gearbox. The electrically welded chassis was suspended by an independent front suspension with transverse-leaf springs and was available in both short- and long-wheelbase configurations. The D6-11S, with the 'S' representing Surbaisse-French for 'lowered', was built on a lowered and shortened wheelbase chassis. The direct replacement for the D6-11 arrived two years after production ended and was dubbed the D60-12.

The D6-65 (1934 to 1935) had a 133-inch wheelbase and a 2,678cc engine producing 65 horsepower at 4,000 RPM. The D6-60 (1935-1937) was produced at the Delahaye factory in Paris, as Delage left the factory at Courbevoie which they had used since 1910. Instead of declaring bankruptcy, Louis Delage had put his company into voluntary receivership, with its assets later acquired by Delahaye. The Delage automobiles were now built to Delahaye designs but retained their own short-stroke engines and hydraulic brakes. The D6-60 initially displaced 2,335cc and produced 56 hp, eventually growing to 2,528cc in October of 1936 which brought output to 67 hp at 3,500 RPM.

The The Delage D6-80 (1935 to 1937) used a 3,227cc version of the 6-cylinder engine and produced 72 horsepower. Its 132-inch (3,350mm) wheelbase platform was shared with a Delahey

The Delage D6-70 (1937 to 1938)
The Delage D6-70 was produced after the Delahaye merger, and although the two companies joined, Delage's technical office remained largely autonomous. They were able to scower the Delahaye parts bins for its forthcoming new models. Delage used the Delahaye 135 engine and modified it by decreasing its displacement to 2,729 cubic centimeters. This gave it a shorter stroke, and combined with a modified head, produced more vivacity in comparison to the Delahaye 135. The engine was paired with a Cotal electrically operated four-speed gearbox, which operated similarly to an automatic transmission system.

Engineer Arthur Michelat and Louis Delage chose the Type 134 chassis instead of the 135, as it was lighter and just as rigid. It was further prepared to accept Houdaille shock absorbers in place of the antiquated friction shocks, along with hydraulic Bendix brakes.

The Delage D6-70 was fast and durable, with its capabilities showcased when it won the Tourist Trophy at Donington Park in 1938 and a pair of Le Mans 24-Hour second places (1939 and 1949).

Production of the D6-70 lasted from 1937 to 1938, effectively replaced in 1939 by the D6-75 with its 2,798cc six-cylinder, 90hp engine.

With the invasion of northern France and the declaration of war, production came to an end. When peacetime resumed, production of the D6 resumed with the 3-liter model. Its 2,984cc straight-6 produced 90 horsepower at 3,800 rpm. Production of the D6 3-Litre ended in 1954.

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2022