Footnotes

'Delage have to their credit many world's records, including a world's championship, and more awards at the principal Concours d'Elegance than any other car in the world... To these achievements Delage have added a third and greater. They have made the highest known degree of luxury and performance available at the price the average motorist can pay.'

Delage's publicity had every right to sing the praises of what, arguably, was the finest French car of its day. Founded in 1905 by Louis Delage, the company commenced production with a single-cylinder De Dion-engined runabout and within a few years was offering multi-cylinder designs. The publicity value of racing was recognised right from the start, a single-cylinder Delage winning the Coupe Des Voiturettes as early as 1908 and Louis himself taking the 1911 Coupe de l'Auto in a 3.0-litre four-cylinder. Victories at the Grand Prix du Mans and the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race were achieved prior to WWI, the company going on to become a major force in Grand Prix racing in the 1920s and setting a new World Land Speed Record mark in 1924 with a 10.7-litre overhead-valve V12.

Following the take-over by Delahaye in 1935, Delages were built to Delahaye designs but retained their own superior short-stroke engines and hydraulic brakes. Introduced for 1937, the D6-70 was powered by Delage's own powerful 2,729cc overhead-valve 'six', which drive via a Cotal electrically operated four-speed gearbox. Both fast and durable, the D6-70 proved good enough to win the Tourist Trophy at Donington Park in 1938 and secure a brace of Le Mans 24-Hour 2nd places: to a Bugatti Type 57 in 1939 and a Ferrari 166 ten years later.

With its deep black coachwork and contrasting broad gold coachline, this striking Delage D6-70 Coupé de Ville is a certain head-turner in any company. An unusual example of the late-1930s Delage, '51979' was purchased for the Key Collection when a selection of the Danish Aalholm Museum's cars was sold at auction in 2012.

Should the vehicle remain in the UK, local import taxes of 5% will be added to the hammer price.