1938 Delage D8-120 Four-Seater Special

Registration No: EYO 363
Chassis No: 51639
MOT: Exempt

• Supplied new by the sole UK concessionaire, University Motors Ltd of London
• Laid-up during WW2 and then dormant due to fire damage for over forty years
• Restored and reconfigured by the seller before returning to the road in 1999
• Matching chassis and engine numbers
• 4.7 litre straight-eight engine professionally overhauled by MacDonald Racing
• Cotal four-speed electromagnetic transmission professionally refurbished too
• Believed but not warranted to have covered 59,000 miles from new
• Handmade bodytub but Talbot Lago 'pontoon' wings

The sole French manufacturer to win the Indianapolis 500 when its Type Y took the chequered flag in 1914, Delage also enjoyed sufficient grand prix success the following decade to be crowned ‘World Champion of Car Builders’ not to mention setting various Land Speed Records. A credible rival to Bugatti, Delahaye and Hispano-Suiza, its model range grew to an unsustainable degree during the 1930s. Thus by 1935, the year it went into voluntary liquidation, Delage was offering no fewer than sixteen different chassis, nine distinct engines and twenty-six catalogued bodystyles! Reincorporated later that same year as the Société Nouvelle des Automobiles Delage thanks to the efforts of its preeminent Parisian dealer (a British expat by the name of Walter Watney) and former arch rival Delahaye, the new entity fielded a far smaller range. Arguably even more surprising than Delahaye’s vital help was its decision to market / position the reborn Delage’s flagship models above its own. Unveiled at the October 1935 Paris Salon, the Delage D8-100 and its sportier, shorter wheelbase sibling, the D8-120 were powered by a bespoke 4.3 litre OHV straight-eight engine allied to Cotal electromagnetic four-speed transmission. Drawing heavily on the Delahaye ‘parts bin’, they nevertheless retained a distinct identity and appeal. Indeed, the D8-120 swiftly became the darling of France’s most prestigious coachbuilders (Saoutchik, Letourneur et Marchand, Chapron and Portout etc) who used it as the basis for numerous show stopping creations. Uprated with an enlarged 4750cc straight-eight during late 1937, the D8-120 could exceed 100mph. Praised by the contemporary motoring press for its refinement, roadholding, performance and light steering, the most potent Delage utilised a box-section steel chassis equipped with independent front suspension and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Promoted by its maker as the ‘Haute Expression de l’Elegance Francaise’, two D8-120s were chosen to represent France at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Some sources estimate that as few as sixty-six were sold, while others put the total closer to 100. Still turning heads in the twenty-first century, D8-120s have enjoyed considerable success at Pebble Beach, Villa d’Este, Hampton Court and the Peninsula Classics etc.

Supplied new by University Motors (London) Ltd, Delage’s sole UK concessionaire, chassis 51639 was issued with the London number plate ‘EYO 363’ on July 13th 1938. Initially bodied as a Four Light Sports Saloon by Coachcraft, the D8-120 was laid-up during World War Two. Still resident in the Capital when Anthony Backer Esq of Swiss Cottage was issued with a continuation logbook for it on May 12^th 1952, the Delage relocated to Derby the following year. Belonging to Frank Brown Esq for just over a month, the D8-120 then passed to George Elkins Esq. Victim of a fire that destroyed its bodywork whilst in the latter’s care, ‘EYO 363’ was taken off the road in 1957. Immobile for decades thereafter, it then passed to the vendor. A metalworking teacher, he transformed the Grand Routier into a Special by shortening its chassis and constructing a new lightweight body with the help of his students. Although David A.C. Royle & Co Ltd issued an invoice for engine work in 1986, it would be another thirteen years before the reconfigured 2+2-seater returned to the road at an indicated 53,630 miles. Entrusted to I&J MacDonald Ltd for a thorough engine overhaul in 2006-2007 (£9,649.08), ‘EYO 363’ was dispatched to the Aston Workshop during 2008 for attention to its brakes and front suspension (£4,965.77). Ronin Engineering refurbished the Cotal Type 35 gearbox in 2016 (£1,786.60), while I.S. Polson rejuvenated the water pump during 2017 (£414.65). Sidelined by the seller’s advancing years, the Delage still shows just 59,231 miles to its odometer. Running and driving during our recent photography session, the D8-120 sounds decidedly purposeful but will require recommissioning in order to become road legal again. A tantalising prospect, this potent Special could be enjoyed in its current guise or renovated to resemble one of its more exotic, trophy winning brethren.

PLEASE NOTE: The copper pram irons for this lot were badly distorted when the roof was lowered after many years in the up position. The damaged pram irons accompany the car should a new owner wish to use them as patterns. The vendor has a large spares package which he is happy to offer the successful purchaser on a ‘first refusal’ basis. The package is understood to comprise the following Delage D8 components: chassis, engine, gearbox, front axle, back axle and wheels etc

For more information, please contact:
Damian Jones
damian.jones@handh.co.uk
07855 493737