Dubbed the “father” of teardrop styling, no one, not even Jean Bugatti, was able to master the sweeping, streamlined and voluptuous coachwork quite like Giuseppe Figoni could. A celebrated French designer, Figoni would form a partnership with Italian businessman Ovidio Falaschi in 1935, and the rest is history. Birthed with undeniable and incomparable aesthetics, beauty can often overshadow the function in these early Delahayes.
This is true of this rare short-chassis 1936 Delahaye 135 M Competition Court Cabriolet, originally constructed to run laps around its opponents on the track. In total, 95 Figoni et Falaschi Delahayes were built in its 20-plus years of business, and according to Andre Vaucourt, former archivist of the Club Delahaye, just 25 short-chassis Type 135s were built in order to homologate for racing. Of those, a mere six coupes were built in 1936.
As one of those cars, this special Delahaye has a known and rich history that can be traced back to its conception. Chassis 46837 would be delivered in February 1936 for Mr. Bibal of France. He did not hold on to this Delahaye for long, as it is noted that Jean Tremoulet, a known racer at the time, took ownership from Bibal in May of 1936. The only definite participation with him behind the wheel was on September 20, 1936, in the “Grand Prix of Independent, Autumn Cup.”
The car would be sold in the spring of 1938 to Dr. Jean-Marie Lefevre, who was a country doctor in the Vrigne-aux-Bois region. Dr. Lefevre used this Delahaye to do his rounds throughout the country, at a high rate of speed. Because of the war and growing fear that the Nazi regime would confiscate the car, it was hidden by a farmer under hay bales in the center of France. The car stayed there for five years, and Dr. Lefevre and his son would return in 1945 to awaken this sleeping beauty.
Chassis 46837 was then sold to André Bith, who owned multiple Delahayes, a Bugatti Type 44 roadster and 1925 Bugatti Type 35. Bith would race at Montlhéry on April 18, 1948, which was documented in the May issue of L’Action Automobile et Touristique. Before the race, Bith upgraded the car with a 3.8-liter engine, still present in the car today, and De Ram shock absorbers to better his chances at victory. Just a short month later, his girlfriend at the time wanted a cabriolet, so he took the car to a coachbuilder in Levallois, who modified it to its present cabriolet form.
Today, 46837, a genuine masterpiece born of race-bred engineering, still wears its restoration by expert Jean-Luc Bonnefoy. This masterfully built Figoni et Falaschi-bodied 1936 Delahaye 135 M Competition Court is a rare treasure and an important piece of automotive history.
SCM Analysis
Detailing
| Vehicle: | 1936 Delahaye 135M Competition Court Cabriolet |
| Years Produced: | 1936–37 |
| Number Produced: | 6 |
| Tune Up Cost: | $300 |
| Chassis Number Location: | Plate on firewall |
| Engine Number Location: | Plate on left-hand side of engine block |
| Club Info: | Club Delahaye |
| Website: | http://www.clubdelahaye.com |
| Alternatives: | 1934–38 Alfa Romeo 2300, 1935–54 Delage D6, 1935–39 Bugatti 57 |
This car, Lot 45, sold for $1,160,000, including buyer’s premium, at Worldwide Auctioneers’ Auburn, IN, auction on April 29, 2023.
The French company Delahaye started producing automobiles as early as 1895 and gained a reputation for making fine-quality cars. With few exceptions, they appealed to an unassuming middle-class clientele of doctors and lawyers. Unlike Bugatti and Alfa Romeo, there were no sporting variants. By the early 1930s, Delahaye could not compete with the likes of Renault and Citroën, let alone the marques such as Hispano-Suiza and Delage. The company needed something special — enter the Type 135, introduced in 1935.
Sell on Monday, win on Sunday
On paper it hardly seemed special. An inline-6, initially with a capacity of 3.2 liters, which quickly rose to 3.6, was coupled with a 116-inch wheelbase chassis. There were no bells and whistles such as overhead cams and hydraulic brakes, something that would not change in nearly 20 years of production. But the engine was quiet and silky smooth, with bags of torque. The chassis was world class for its time, easy to drive with predictable handling. Equipped with a three-carb setup, the 135 M was more than capable.
It did not take long for the public to figure this out, and the car soon drew the attention of the great coachbuilders such as Chapron and Figoni. A new era dawned on the old company, one which would see the now-prestigious marque producing possibly the best grand-touring car of the era, often clothed with magnificent bodywork.
Realizing the car’s motorsport potential, in 1936 Delahaye came up with a radically different short-chassis version. When coupled with an upgraded engine, it became a sports car. On the racetrack it could not compete with the likes of the Alfa 8C on short distances, but its sheer drivability and reliability earned the car many laurels on long-distance events.
Chopped top
Our subject car was originally conceived as a coupe. Although it was pretty, the short chassis made it look stubby; other Figoni coupes on the standard-length chassis are far more elegant. The car was used in some club races, and although the results are not known, photos show it at the front of the pack.
Amidst the post-war austerity, the 10-year-old car was still eminently desirable. So when the new owner’s wife suggested a roof chop, he agreed. It was sent to a body shop in the Paris area for the transformation — not to Figoni, but a competent builder, probably Chapron. But no documentation of the work exists. A string of subsequent owners ensued, but somewhat surprisingly, there are no photos of the car during this period, either. For a car that would have almost certainly graced the French Riviera, this is unusual, but not unheard of.
An older restoration
In the late 1980s, the car was discovered by a French Delahaye aficionado, Roger Tainguy. It was in a disassembled state, patiently awaiting restoration. Once again, no photos of the discovery exist. Tainguy sent the car to Jean-Luc Bonnefoy, a fledging-but-competent restorer who possessed all the tooling and machinery needed for a major restoration.
A visit to the workshop in the early 1990s revealed the front half of the car with restored metalwork, but none of the rear section present. The front wings were different from the originals on the front edge, the doors modified, and the screen converted to a separate chromed item, as opposed to the original. These modifications were quite likely carried out during its post-war transformation from coupe to convertible. Bonnefoy presumably fabricated the missing rear section.
Near the end of the restoration, Tainguy sold the car to French collector Hervé Ogliastro. Despite having a large number of classic cars in his stable, including a number of Bugattis, the Delahaye was Ogliastro’s favorite for rally events, and he used it extensively for the next 25 years.
Due diligence
In 2017, Ogliastro decided to thin out his collection, and consigned several cars to the Artcurial sale at Rétromobile. The Delahaye was included but failed to sell at a high bid of $1,170,400 (SCM# 6817148). The car was in well-used condition at this time, but this was likely not the reason it went unsold. If this fabulous-looking car had been conceived originally by Figoni as a roadster, if photos existed showing its post-war existence, and if the original engine was there, we might have seen an entirely different result. But six years ago, potential buyers did their homework.
Big hitters do due diligence before raising their hand at auction, and do not tolerate vehicles with a messy history. Exotic, no-stories cars from the 1930s still make great money, even in today’s depressed market. A squeaky-clean roadster might sell in the $3m–$4m range, with a coupe at $2m–$3m.
That said, this Delahaye’s new owner will have a wonderful time using it in events such as the Colorado Grand. It will be welcomed at myriad concours, though it is not going to fool the judges at Pebble Beach. At $1.2m, the price was a little more than I might have expected, but the buyer has made a great investment in his future pleasure. ♦
(Introductory description courtesy of Worldwide Auctioneers.)