1936 Delage D8-120 Coach Aérosport by Letourneur et Marchand
- Engine
- 4.7L inline-eight, ~115 bhp
- Colour
- Black with orange body molding and rear wings
A 1936 Delage D8-120 fitted with coachwork by Letourneur et Marchand in the rare Coach Aérosport fastback style, this car is the second of six first-series examples built to that design. Distinguished by its pillarless curved glasswork, fastback tail, and unique hood louvres, it was displayed at the 1937 Brussels Motor Show and the Eastbourne Concours before its Aérosport body was transferred from chassis 51000 to chassis 51042 after British buyers found the styling too avant-garde. It subsequently passed through American ownership before a full restoration at Hill and Vaughn of Santa Monica and display at Pebble Beach in 1997.
Ownership
- —Auction saleEstimate US$2,500,000 – US$3,500,000
- 1937 →Private saleUniversity Motorspartial documentation
British Delage concessionaire that purchased the car and exhibited it at a concours event in 1937. The body was on chassis 51000 at this time.
- 1990 → 2001Acquisition unknownCalifornia collectionpartial documentation
Unidentified California-based collection that commissioned a full restoration at a well-regarded Santa Monica facility co-founded by racing driver Phil Hill.
- 2001 →Private salePresent collectionpartial documentation
Long-term owner for roughly 25 years, holding the car alongside numerous other significant French coachbuilt examples; maintained it in strong mechanical and cosmetic condition.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownHalfway Garages of Padworth, Berkshirepartial documentation
UK garage that held the car at some point and sold it in the early 1950s, by which time it carried a different engine number and the body had been transferred to chassis 51042.
- Date unknownPrivate saleHarold T. Raittpartial documentation
Buyer from Fort Wayne, Indiana, who acquired the car from the Berkshire garage in the early 1950s. Source is a 1998 magazine article.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownEd Wachspartial documentation
Illinois-based collector known for acquiring unusual European automobiles; purchased the car after Raitt.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownHenry Uihlein IIpartial documentation
Wisconsin enthusiast who reportedly acquired the car and was a noted admirer of the D8-120, having collected several significant examples over the years.
Competition
- 19371937 Brussels Motor Show
Car exhibited on chassis 51000 in black with orange moldings and Havana leather interior; this was a display appearance, not a race.
- 1937-07-011937 Eastbourne Concours d'Elegance
Entered by University Motors, the British Delage concessionaire, while the body was still on chassis 51000.
- 19971997 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
Displayed following completion of restoration by the California collection; subsequently featured in a Classic & Sports Car article.
- 20012001 Meadowbrook Concours d'Elegance
- 20052005 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance
Described as the most prominent show appearance during the current owner's tenure.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1938ModificationCoachcraft
The Coach Aérosport body was detached from its original chassis (51000) and remounted onto a different D8-120 chassis numbered 51042; Dunlop steel wheels of an updated type were fitted at the same time.
Chassis 51000 was simultaneously rebodied as a cabriolet by Coachcraft to suit British tastes. The replacement chassis 51042 is believed by historian Daniel Cabart to have been supplied by the Delage factory.
- —RestorationHill & Vaughn
Comprehensive restoration undertaken on behalf of the California collection that owned the car in the early 1990s.
Hill and Vaughn of Santa Monica was co-founded by racing driver Phil Hill and was considered the leading restoration facility on the American West Coast at the time.
Are you the owner of this car?
This car's public record is built from its auction and competition history. Register your ownership and privately add your own records to make it a verified Legacy Metrics passport — provenance that backs your car's value at sale and gives your insurer evidence to price against. Roy reviews and verifies every registration personally.