1938 Delahaye 135

This 1938 Delahaye 135M is a Figoni & Falaschi-bodied cabriolet that arrived at the Paris coachbuilder’s workshop on March 21, 1938 to receive its bodywork before being delivered new to a rancher in Uruguay in March 1939. Following World War II, chassis 49170 is said to have returned to France for freshening and then embarked on a tour of Europe before returning to Uruguay, where it reportedly remained with the family of its original owner until 1989. The car was then imported to the UK, where it was refurbished in the early 1990s before being acquired by a French collector who campaigned it in various rallies and events before the current owner’s acquisition in 2013. A restoration between 2014 and 2016 included a repaint in blue and a rebuild of its triple-carbureted 3,557cc OHV inline-six. Additional equipment includes a four-speed Cotal electromagnetic gearbox, independent front suspension, cable-operated drum brakes, painted 17” wire wheels, red leather upholstery, and a blue three-position convertible top. This 135M is offered in Belgium by the seller on behalf of its current owner with restoration photos and records, a FIVA identity card from previous ownership, a summary of its history from the Delayahe Club archives, and UK registration documents. The Type 135 was introduced in 1935 on a lower chassis with a shorter wheelbase than that of the outgoing 138, with bodywork provided by the purchaser’s supplier of choice. The range was expanded in 1936 to include a Modifie variant with a higher-displacement engine that could be had with one, two, or three carburetors. This 135M was bodied by Figoni & Falaschi in Paris as a two-door, four-seat cabriolet with a convertible top designed to be used fully open, fully closed, or covering the rear seat only. The restoration performed between 2014 and 2016 by Garage Werner Esch in Foetz, Luxembourg, included removal of the body from the chassis, which was placed on a rotisserie and refinished. Repairs were made to the sheet metal and the wooden framework supporting the body before a dark blue repaint in lieu of two-tone schemes previously worn by the car. A new color-matched soft top was also fitted. Body-colored 17” knock-off wire wheels wear Dunlop Gold Seal tires, and a matching spare is recessed into the tail panel under a metal cover. Independent front suspension incorporates a single transverse leaf spring, while a live axle and two semi-elliptical leaf springs are utilized at the rear. Lever-arm shock absorbers provide damping at each corner, while braking is handled by cable-actuated drums. The cabin was retrimmed in red leather over the front bucket seats, rear bench, and inner panels of the rear-hinged doors. Additional details include red carpeting, wood door caps and dash trim, roll-up windows, and a red-painted dash. A four-spoke steering wheel is situated on the right side ahead of a column-mounted selector for the Cotal gearbox, while a floor shifter allows engagement of forward or reverse. OS instrumentation includes a 170-km/h speedometer, a clock, a tachometer, and inset auxiliary gauges. The five-digit odometer shows 72k kilometers (~45k miles), approximately 2k of which have been added under current ownership. Total mileage is unknown. The 3,557cc inline-six features a four-bearing crankshaft, pushrod-operated overhead valves, and triple Solex 40 PAI downdraft carburetors, and was factory rated at 115 horsepower. The block and crankshaft were machined during the 2010s project, which also included replacement of the cylinder head, camshaft, piston rings, bearings, and lifters. The generator and battery were also changed. Power is delivered to the rear wheels through a four-speed Cotal gearbox that features electromagnetic clutches. Number 49170 is stamped on the engine tag shown above as well as on the chassis tag pictured in the gallery below. The numbers 3665 and 543 are also stamped in the engine bay sheet metal. Photos and invoices totaling approximately €300k from the 2014-2016 work are shown in the gallery, as are images showing the car in 1988, on the cover of a 1992 Sotheby’s auction catalog after a 1990s refurbishment, and as part of a Delahaye exhibition at the 2013 Retro Classics event in Stuttgart, Germany. Also provided in the gallery is a description of the car’s history provided by Delahaye Club president Jean-Paul Tissot. The car comes with a FIVA passport from previous ownership, UK registration paperwork, and a copy of a letter from an Argentinian dealer describing its history through 1989.