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1951 Delahaye Type 235 Cabriolet
THE 1951 PARIS AUTO SALON
FORMERLY THE PROPERTY OF JACQUES “FRENCHY” HARGUINDEGUY JACQUES SAOUTCHIK displayed this car on his stand at the October 1951 Paris Auto Salon, in promotion of the 1952 model year. It impressed the media and public alike. Buyers, however, were intimidated by its high price ($7,000), which was double that of the competing Jaguar XK-120. Chassis 818005 carried the first of four Type 235 custom bodies produced by Saoutchik. It was constructed from a unique combination of aluminum, which was applied to the body from the doors forward, and steel, which was applied to the rear. This method provided balance and reduced the car’s weight. Chassis 818005 was owned by a French collector for nearly fifty years and was only stored away when it stopped working in 1964. It was rediscovered in France in 2006 by Jacques “Frenchy” Harguindeguy, an Amican collector from Walnut Creek, California, who displayed it in its original condition at the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Peter Mullin purchased the car in 2007 and subjected it to a comprehensive restoration. Delahaye designed the Type 235 to express its new post-war vision, but utilized only a slightly modernized pre-war 135MS chassis and engine. Ultimately, the Type 235’s exclusive design and high price proved its undoing. Delahaye sold only a handful of cars before closing in 1954. SPEC OVERVIEW:
Coachbuilder: Jacques Saoutchik Chassis No. 818005 Production No. 5th of 84 Produced Engine No. 818005 Inline Six-Cylinder Engine 150 BHP At 4,200 RPM 3,557 CC Overhead Valves 4-Speed Cotal Pre-Selector Gearbox Independent Front, Transverse Leaf Spring with Upper Control Arms and Lever Action Shock Absorbers. Live Rear Axle with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs and Lever Action Shock Absorbers 4-Wheel Cable-Operated Drum Brakes |
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