Lot details Registration No: BF 4467 Chassis No: 30474 Mot Expiry: Nov 2009
By the early 1920s, Delage was among France's pre-eminent car manufacturers. Founded in 1905 by ex Turgan-Foy and Peugeot employee, Louis Delage, the Courbevoie concern was known throughout Europe for the quality and sophistication of its designs. No stranger to racing, the marque's magnificent 1.5-litre straight-eight GP cars were crowned `champion du monde' in both 1926 and 1927. While its other forays into competition included a 10.5-litre landspeed record challenger and a string of Le Mans entries. Introduced in 1927, the Delage DM modestly claimed to possess `a large reserve of power, incomparable roadholding, sweet and precise steering and progressive and powerful brakes'. Slotting between the entry level 2.1-litre DI and range topping 6-litre GL models, the newcomer was designed by Maurice Gaultier (who would later create the renowned D8). Beautifully built, the DM was based around a sturdy ladder-frame chassis equipped with all round leaf-sprung suspension and four-wheel drum brakes. A long-stroke unit (130mm against a bore of 72mm), its 3.2-litre engine housed a seven-bearing crankshaft and refined overhead valvegear. Predictably torquey, the straight-six was allied to a four-speed manual gearbox and imbued the medium-sized Delage with an effortless gait. Spawning DMS and DMN derivatives, plus the long-wheelbase DML, the DM remained in production until 1930 by which time some 2567 of all types are thought to have been made (though, today survivors are scarce). Judged the equal of the contemporary Rolls-Royce, the Delage could be supplied as a bare chassis or with a choice of elegant factory coachwork.
Finished in brown over black with black leather upholstery to the front and beige cloth to the rear, this particular long wheelbase example is described by the vendor as being in "very good" condition with regard to its engine, gearbox, electrical equipment, interior trim, coachwork and paintwork. Fitted with its current imposing four-door saloon coachwork (rumoured to have come from a Delage D8) as part of an extensive restoration commissioned by a previous owner, the DML was first UK registered during 1993. A beautifully appointed car complete with division, the seller feels that it encapsulates the elegance and quality for which Delage were renowned. Sporting twin side-mounted spare wheels, this wonderful French vintage saloon is offered for sale with MOT certificate valid until November 2009.
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