1935 Delahaye 135W Cabriolet
- Engine
- 3.6L inline-six with triple Solex carburetors (Type 103 unit)
- Colour
- Silver with black fenders
A first-year Delahaye 135, this cabriolet carries unattributed coachwork in the style of Chapron, featuring split bumpers, a retractable hood, and rear-wheel spats. Its early history is unclear, but by the 1970s it was actively campaigned in France, participating in three editions of the historic Monte Carlo rally. A restoration was started but left incomplete, and the car now awaits a dedicated owner to bring it back to the road. The engine, a Type 103 unit with triple Solex carburetors, is understood to be running, while the original pre-select gearbox appears to have been replaced at some point with a conventional floor-shift unit.
Ownership
- —Auction saleEstimate US$130,000 – US$160,000
- Date unknownFrench owner during historic rally periodpartial documentation
Car was based in France and actively used in historic rallies during the 1970s, carrying French registration 378FU82. Period photographs document this tenure.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownCurrent consignorpartial documentation
Vehicle is stored in a Southern California warehouse; consignor has driven it briefly under its own power at low speed. Partial disassembly for a planned restoration was apparently never finished.
Competition
- 1974Rallye Monte Carlo des Voitures Anciennes1st Rallye Monte Carlo des Voitures Anciennes
Car participated in the inaugural edition, photographed in a two-tone silver and black livery ascending Alpine passes alongside pre-war machinery.
- 1976Rallye Monte Carlo des Voitures Anciennes2nd Rallye Monte Carlo des Voitures Anciennes
Second successive appearance at this historic rally event, car driven in an energetic style through mountainous terrain.
- 1978Rallye Monte Carlo des Voitures Anciennes3rd Rallye Monte Carlo des Voitures Anciennes
Third documented participation; photographic evidence confirms the car's presence among Bugattis and other pre-war entrants.
Maintenance & restoration
- —Restoration
A restoration was carried out, details and scope unknown, believed to have been completed some decades before the catalogue date.
Exact date and extent of this earlier restoration are unrecorded.
- —Modification
The original Wilson pre-select gearbox was replaced with a conventional mechanical floor-shift transmission at an undetermined point in the car's history.
The chassis plate designation '135W' indicates the car left the factory with a pre-selector unit.
- —Restoration
The car was partially dismantled, apparently in preparation for a comprehensive restoration, but the work was never finished; several components including the grille, hood side panels, and Marchal headlamps were removed and kept with the car.
The car remained substantially complete despite the incomplete disassembly.
- —Inspection
A recent inspection confirmed the engine carries no stamped numbers, that the steering box bears number 621172, and that the car can be driven under its own power at low speed.
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