Istorie
The Delahaye 135 was the foundation of all models to follow. The most desirable of all was the 135MS, or “Modifie Speciale,” introduced in 1938. This particular unit, an elegant sport coupe designed by Henri Chapron, was discovered in 1989 by the famous coachbuilder Andre Lecoq. The car was bought by Tiriac Collection in 2013 and after having its body and engine repaired, it presents itself today in perfect condition.
Full description
Delahaye’s most famous model remains the 135, introduced at the 1935 Paris Auto Show and produced until 1951. It was the foundation of all Delahaye models to follow and was produced in several different iterations, the most desirable and powerful of which was the 135MS, or “Modifie Speciale,” introduced in 1938.
Equipped with three carburetors, its inline six-cylinder engine produced 135 horsepower. That is not an impressive number today, but in the 1930s, the 135MS’ top speed of 100 mph ranked it among the fastest automobiles in the world, and it also was surprisingly fuel efficient for the time. This efficiency led to racing versions of the chassis, winning many victories, including Le Mans.
In the immediate post-war period Delahaye resumed production of the 135MS. As Delahaye had no in-house coachworks, all its chassis were bodied by independents, which created some of their most attractive designs on the Type 135. This model kept many of the great French coachbuilders such as Figoni et Falaschi, Chapron, Saoutchik and Franay in business. What followed was a virtually endless parade of the most beautiful bodies ever made by the cream of French coachbuilding. For years, the 135, 135M and 135MS reigned supreme at the concours d’elegance in Paris, Biarritz and Monaco with luxurious, racy and stunning coachwork.
This particular unit, an elegant sport coupe designed by Henri Chapron, was discovered in 1989 by the famous coachbuilder Andre Lecoq. Although it is dated from 1947, it still displays a certain pre-war charm, with separate wings and wonderful chromed Marchal headlights. The six-cylinder engine is powerful enough to allow the car to keep up with modern traffic, and the interior displays all the comfort of a luxury car fitted with hand-crafted coachwork: reddish brown leather seats, varnished wood dashboard and large dark red-rimmed steering wheel with chrome spokes. The car even has a sunroof that Andre Lecoq fitted with an electric motor - out of place perhaps, but very convenient and easily reversible. The car was restored in 1990 and used by Lecoq in classic car rallies and also for driving to his vacation house in Brittany.
The car was bought by Tiriac Collection in 2013 and after having its body and engine repaired, it presents itself today in perfect condition. It has won the second place in the 2014 Sinaia Concours d'Elegance in the „Postbelic Coupe” category.
The car has covered 9,531 km.
