1932 Delage D8C Faux-Cabriolet

4,061 cc OHV Inline Eight-Cylinder Engine
Four SU carburettors
Approximately 120bhp
4-Speed Manual Gearbox
Solid Front Axle, Live Rear Axle, Semi-Elliptic Leaf Springs
4-Wheel Drum Brakes

*One of the finest French sporting cars of its day
*One of only two cars known today with this coachwork
*Rare and desirable 'Courte' short-chassis specification
*Delivered new to the UK
*Restored in the 1990s and beautifully preserved since
*Striking design with evocative and sporty details
*Recently serviced and ideal for touring


THE DELAGE D8

"Delage have to their credit many world's records, including a world's championship, and more awards at the principal Concours d'Élégance 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 was arguably the finest French car of its day. Founded in 1905 by Louis Delage, the company commenced production with a single-cylinder De Dion-powered runabout and within a few years was offering multi-cylinder designs. The publicity value of racing was recognized 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-liter 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-liter overhead-valve V12.

Four- and six-cylinder D-series cars formed the mainstay of the company's touring car production during the 1920s, and then at the 1929 Paris Salon Delage launched the Maurice Gaultier-designed D8. A magnificent 4.0-liter overhead-valve straight-eight featuring an X-braced chassis and servo-assisted Perrot-type brakes, the D8 was destined to attract the creative attentions of Europe's finest coachbuilders. "Always on their mettle, they rose to the occasion, with the result that the Delage D8s of the years between 1930 and 1936 are unquestionably amongst the best-looking motor cars of an era which produced some of the most handsome cars of all time" - J. R. Buckley, The Delage Series D8. Indeed, in its day the Delage D8 was the only French car that could be mentioned in the same breath as the 32CV Hispano-Suiza in terms of elegance and engineering excellence. The impressive list of discerning D8 owners includes King Gustav V of Sweden, King Alexander of Yugoslavia, and Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia as well as leading businessmen, politicians, and film stars of the day.

The D8 was built initially in three different wheelbase lengths: courte, normale and longue (short, normal and long). Only 458 of the short-wheelbase D8Cs were built, making them the rarest of the chassis lengths. The D8C provided the basis for the first sporting variant: the Grand Sport, introduced in 1931, while as development progressed higher-performance D8S and D8SS versions became available. In Britain the Delage concessionaire was J Smith & Co Ltd of Albemarle Street, London W1, who had no trouble selling these upmarket French cars in considerable numbers, aided by a most favorable exchange rate that saw the Figoni et Falaschi four-door saloon priced at £1,125 in 1931, only marginally more than the Rolls-Royce 20/25hp in bare chassis form. The Autocar magazine said this of the D8: "...all the speed that can be possibly wanted, and extremely rapid acceleration are obtained with practically no noise at all, and driven normally the car is docile..."

Along with many other manufacturers of quality cars, Delage was badly affected by the economic downturn of the early 1930s. Despite a favorable reception for its new range, Automobiles Delage went into receivership in April 1935 and shortly thereafter was taken over by Delahaye. The Delahaye takeover spelled the end for the original D8. From then onwards, Delages were built to Delahaye designs but retained their own superior short-stroke engines and hydraulic brakes.
The post-war years were difficult times for makers of large and luxurious automobiles in France. Taxation rates were punitive for cars of over 2 liters, choking off demand, and in 1950 the combined total production of Delahaye and Delage was only 235 units. This unsustainable situation worsened over the next two years and in 1953 Delage production stopped. It was indeed a sad end to a once great marque.


THE CAR OFFERED

This magnificent and luxurious Vanvooren-bodied D8C faux cabriolet was ordered by the British Delage agent J Smith & Co Ltd and registered as 'GY 5816' in London in 1932. ('GY' registrations were issued by the London County Council during June and July 1932.) Based in Courbevoie, Seine, France, as was Delage, Carrosserie Vanvooren specialized in catering for quality makes including Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Bugatti and, of course, Delage, and was best known as the supplier of 'factory' bodies for Hispano-Suiza.

Finished in two-tone red over maroon (possibly its original livery) with brown leather interior and beige carpets, this two-door four-seater faux cabriolet was constructed by Vanvooren using the patented Silentbloc vibration-isolating mounting system. The body is steel apart from the bonnet, which is aluminum. The four SU carburetors hint at its British market origins, and the mighty straight-eight engine sends its 120 horsepower to the ground via a four-speed gearbox. Dewandre servo-assisted hydraulic drum brakes provide ample stopping power. Other notable features of this particular car include twin rear-mounted spare wheels, external pram irons to the faux cabriolet sides, opening integral boot, Calormeter, cycle mudguards, and short steps rather than a full-length running board, imparting a decidedly sporting aesthetic, particularly in profile.

In the book "Automotive Treasury of Ireland", coming with the car and published in 1979, the car is pictured and described as follows "The Delage was acquired in 1976 by a County Dublin (Ireland) collector from the famous John Ellis collection at Celbridge, County Kildare: It is supremely original, and was in good general condition when handed over to the present owner. Every season it participates in quite a number of IVVCC rallies, and in the annual Leinster Motor Club rally."

Having spent all its life in Britain and Ireland, the Delage was auctioned in London in November 1987, the catalogue description stating that the owner had "concentrated refurbishment and maintenance on the mechanical side of the car (clutch, kingpins, brakes and steering gear have been overhauled) and reports that the car recently took part in a 2,500 miles rally in Europe". The purchaser was a well-known motor dealer who in turn sold the car in 1999 to its previous owner, a famous Swiss collector.

Being thus a documented five-owner car since 1976, the Delage benefited from a complete restoration in the late 1990s. It has been completely repainted in the previous color scheme; panel fit remains very good with only some filler evident on the door bottoms. The body's wooden framework seems to have been restored too, while the hood is covered with beautiful waterproof Pegamoid. While overall very well preserved, some small bubbles are noted under the paint, though barely visible. The interior has been completely restored and is in very good condition, while the seller reports only one switch on the dashboard is not of the correct type.

In October 2023 the engine was in the process of being completely checked as two of the eight spark plugs were rusty. Once dismantled, the engine was found to have been totally restored and remained remarkably fresh. The brakes and clutch have been recently restored and the car's underside is very clean. Offered with the book mentioned hereabove, an original owner 's manual and two original sales brochures, one in French and the other one in English, and without any registration document, this gorgeous Delage D8C represents an exciting opportunity to own and enjoy a rare example of one of the finest French sporting cars of its day.