1936 Delahaye 135 S
- Engine
- 3.6L inline engine with side-draught carburettors and Cotal pre-select gearbox
Chassis 46084 is among the earliest Delahaye 135 S competition cars built, completed in early 1936 with a Pourtout body and notable technical features including side-draught carburettors and an inline Cotal pre-selector gearbox. Raced extensively by Daniel Porthault and later Charles Pozzi under the Ecurie France banner, its crowning achievement came at the 1938 Le Mans 24 Hours, where it finished 2nd overall alongside sister car chassis 47190 in a Delahaye 1-2. After decades of rebodying and storage, a full nut-and-bolt restoration to original Pourtout specification was completed in 2008.
Ownership
- —Auction saleEstimate €1,500,000 – €2,000,000
- 1936-02-01 → 1945Factory deliveryDaniel Porthaultpartial documentation
French racing driver who registered the car new from Pourtout coachbuilder and competed in 15 events between 1936 and 1938. Car was stored during the war years.
- 1945 → 1946-04-01Acquisition unknownBaron Pierre Cornetpartial documentation
Belgian aristocrat who had previously raced the car before acquiring it post-war.
- 1946-04-01 → 1947Private saleCharles Pozzipartial documentation
French racing driver and later a Ferrari dealer who campaigned the car in over 20 events under the Ecurie France banner; the body was replaced in early 1947 to match the team's other vehicles.
- 1947 → 1951-12-01Private salePaul Valléepartial documentation
Team owner of Ecurie France who purchased the car from Pozzi and retained it for approximately four years.
- 1951-12-01 →Private saleHenri Auriacpartial documentation
Rebodied the car as a barchetta for competition use, then again as a cabriolet in 1955, after which it was placed in long-term storage for roughly 40 years; the car changed hands twice during that storage period.
- 2005 →Acquisition unknownPrevious owner who undertook restorationfull documentation
Commissioned a comprehensive nut-and-bolt restoration with a new Pourtout-style body, completed in 2008; subsequently exhibited the car at Rétromobile in Paris.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownCurrent owner (consignor)full documentation
Has held the car for approximately a decade; retains a FIVA identity card plus a comprehensive history file including a 1938 Le Mans programme and period photos.
Competition
- 1936-06-281936 Grand Prix de l'A.C.F.Driver: Daniel Porthault
Served as the car's competitive debut after the scheduled 1936 Le Mans was cancelled due to civil unrest.
- 19381938 Le Mans 24 HoursDriver: Gaston Serraud2nd overall
Co-driven by Yves Giraud-Cabantous under race number 14; completed 233 laps, two fewer than the winning sister car driven by Chaboud and Tremoulet, delivering a 1-2 result for the marque.
- 19461946 Grand Prix de BourgogneDriver: Charles Pozzi4th
Competed under the Ecurie France team banner run by Paul Vallée.
- 19471947 Grand Prix d'AlbiDriver: Charles Pozzi3rd
One of over 20 events entered by Pozzi in 1946–1947 under Ecurie France.
- 19471947 Grand Prix du SalonDriver: Charles Pozzi3rd
Another podium result from Pozzi's extensive campaign with the car during this period.
- 19541954 Tour de France Automobile
Entered after Auriac rebodied the car as a barchetta; driver not specified in the source material.
- 2008Rétromobile Paris
Post-restoration static display at the Paris show following completion of the full rebuild.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1947Bodywork
Car was fitted with a new body in early 1947 to align its appearance with the other Delahaye entries run by Ecurie France.
Carried out during Charles Pozzi's ownership at the request of team patron Paul Vallée.
- 1952Bodywork
Chassis rebodied as an open two-seat barchetta to enable competition participation under Henri Auriac.
Work undertaken shortly after Auriac's acquisition in December 1951.
- 1955Bodywork
Body replaced a second time under Auriac, this time in cabriolet form; car subsequently entered long-term storage.
- 2008RestorationAtelier Concept & Restauration Bonnefoy
Full nut-and-bolt restoration to original period configuration, including a newly constructed body faithful to the original Pourtout coachwork style.
Overseen with the technical expertise of Christian Huet; restoration commenced after the previous owner's 2005 acquisition and was completed in 2008.
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