Titre de circulation allemand

Châssis n° 818069 Moteur n°818069

- Rare and fast

- Attractive bodywork by Chapron

- One of the last Delahayes

- Cylinder head reconditioned, recent work

  

From just 84/85 examples built of the Delahaye 235, which was introduced for the Paris Motor Show in 1951 and would be the last model sold by the prestigious marque, the most iconic model in the range was the ‘coach’ with bodywork by Henri Chapron. Two versions of this were offered: the so-called ‘works’ coach and the ‘Grand Luxe’ coach. Each car was built to a distinct specification, as chosen by the customer. This ultimate model was powered by the type 22 S 103 engine, the 3.5-litre six-cylinder, with power uprated to 152 bhp. It also had front suspension with Messier hydraulic shock absorbers, resulting in a quick car with good roadholding and an excellent ride, making long journeys possible at high speed.

Chassis no. 818069 was built at Delahaye during 1953 and was listed as under development in the inventory dated 3 October that year, valued at 2,000,000 francs. It was then fitted with a ‘works’ coach body by Chapron, no. 7030.

This luxurious motorcar was registered new in the Seine-et-Oise on 4 April 1955, in the name of an engineer from Montmorency, as 94 BJ 78. On 25 September 1958, this number changed to 382 ER 14, in the name of Paul Dahl and Co., an electrical and mechanical engineering firm in Lisieux. In September 1962, the car became the property of the Parisian garage Le Marois, a Delahaye specialist, who sold it on 8 May 1963 to a yachtsman in Maisons-Alfort. In 1987, it was registered in the Hauts-de-Seine department, until it was sold at auction by Poulain-Le Fur on 15 December 2002. It then joined a large collection in Rome, before moving more recently to southern Spain. It was bought by our client, a major German collector, at our auction held at Rétromobile in 2020. A participant at Le Mans Classic with significant cars which competed in period, he was won over by its original interior. The workshop in Hamburg which takes care of his racing cars then carried out a mechanical overhaul. The cylinder head was reconditioned and all the gaskets replaced, to ensure the engine ran perfectly.

Today, the car is in fine, in completely correct original specification. The harmonious combination of grey bodywork and a red leather interior is most attractive and will surely appeal to a future owner who is seeking a fast and elegant coach.

 

 

Jean-Paul TISSOT

Photos © Nino Hamet