1938 Peugeot 402 Darl'mat Special Coupé
- Engine
- 2.0L inline-four
- Colour
- Two-tone French beige and black
Chassis 705536 is a 1938 Peugeot 402 Darl'mat Special coupe, one of an estimated six examples bodied in that configuration on the 402-series platform and believed to be among only three survivors. Coachwork was executed by Marcel Pourtout to aerodynamic Art Deco designs by Georges Paulin, and the car was presented as a personal gift by Emile Darl'mat to his Le Mans team director Alfred Giauque at the end of 1938. After decades of private ownership in France and later the United States, the coupe underwent a comprehensive restoration and was exhibited at the 2004 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and the 2007 Phoenix Art Museum 'Curves of Steel' exhibition.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$885,000
- 1938-12-01 →Private saleAlfred Giauquepartial documentation
Received as a Christmas gift from Emile Darl'mat in recognition of his service as team director; Giauque had favored the coupe body style for competition despite Darl'mat preferring roadsters.
- 1954-02-01 → 1958Acquisition unknownJeanne Werottepartial documentation
Paris-based owner who acquired the car after the war years; no details of her tenure or condition of the vehicle during this period are provided.
- 1958 →Acquisition unknownAndre Perignepartial documentation
Fellow Parisian who took ownership approximately four years after Werotte; the car was subsequently exported to the United States sometime after his tenure.
- → 2002Private saleKenneth Piersonpartial documentation
Owner of Heritage Auto Body Restoration in Mesa, Arizona; acquired the vehicle in a state of partial disassembly via Los Angeles broker Raymond Milo.
- 2002 →Private saleCurrent consignorfull documentation
Respected collector who commissioned a thorough restoration, then entrusted the car to RM Auto Restoration for additional refinement; maintained the vehicle fastidiously for roughly two decades.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownDr. William O'Brienpartial documentation
Reno, Nevada-based collector and close associate of Bill Harrah; the car was exported from France to join his personal collection, likely sometime in the late 1960s or early 1970s.
Competition
- 19371937 Le Mans 24 Hours7th, 8th, and 10th overall
Three Darl'mat Special roadsters contested the race in a debut effort supported by Peugeot factory involvement; the result was considered a strong opening showing for the program.
- 19381938 Le Mans 24 HoursDriver: Charles de Cortanze5th overall, 1st in 2-liter class
Co-driven by Marcel Contet; the trio of 402-based entries outperformed the German Adler machines that had dominated the class the prior year, representing the high point of the Darl'mat racing program.
- 20042004 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
Presented following completion of a comprehensive restoration commissioned by the consignor.
- 2007Curves of Steel exhibition, Phoenix Art Museum
The car was selected for display at this acclaimed exhibition dedicated to streamlined automotive design, and was also featured in the accompanying publication with photography by Michael Furman.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2004ServiceRM Auto Restoration
Additional fine-tuning and finishing work carried out following the Pebble Beach concours appearance.
- —Restoration
Comprehensive restoration commissioned by the consignor after acquiring the partially disassembled car in 2002.
Work was completed prior to the car's appearance at the 2004 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
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