Description
Brand. DELAHAYE Model. 235 Year. 1952 Code | Type. TARGA ANTEM bodywork Engine. 6 cylinders in line Displacement. 3, 557 cm3 Power supply. 3 SOLEX 40 carburettors Power. 152 HP Mileage. 47, 696 km Gearbox. Electromagnetic COTAL 4-speed Equipment TARGA-type convertible roof, leather interior, spoked wheels, original tools Condition. TBE Paint colour Grey Immediate availability - sale depot Expertise Offered French know-how at the top of its game! A DELAHAYE is always elegance and technique combined! This one is signed by ANTEM. A unique Targa model! History The DELAHAYE brand has been around since the end of the nineteenth century. It originated in Tours and began full-scale production around 1904, shortly after the workshops were transferred to Paris at 10 rue du Banquier in the 13th arrondissement. Despite its age, the firm has remained in good shape, but it seems to be running out of steam in this half of the twentieth century. Its range was based on two main models: the 135, an excellent car, and the 175, which never had a very good reputation. In motoring circles at the time, there were whispers that DELAHAYE was going to stop producing its cars and devote itself solely to the much more profitable manufacture of its JEEP VLR. But this was not to be, and it was on the contrary thanks to the success of its VLR (light reconnaissance vehicle: the French state placed an order for 4, 000 vehicles), that DELAHAYE found the finances to commit to the design and construction of the luxurious 235. Officially presented at the 1951 Paris Motor Show, this new prestige sports car was of course based on the 135, but with a slightly more powerful engine and more modern bodywork. Produced until 1954, all DELAHAYE 235s featured the typical oval grille designed by stylist Philippe CHARBONNEAUX. Unfortunately, very few 235s were produced: just 84 between 1951 and 1954, an average of just two per month. For the 1951 Paris Motor Show, based on a 1:1 scale drawing by Philippe CHARBONNEAUX, the 235's bodywork was entrusted to the Turkish coachbuilder MOTTO. The French coachbuilder LETOURNEUR & MARCHAND, who had been approached first, was unable to commit to building such a prototype within the very tight deadline imposed. MOTTO succeeded in building the car in 3 months, then had it validated at the Montlhéry tests. Mission accomplished, the DELAHAYE brand was able to validate its participation in the show and give more time to LETOURNEUR & MARCHAND to make their model also on the same plans as MOTTO. As a result, the 2 models look awfully similar. Description All DELAHAYE 235s were dressed outside the factory, as the Rue du Banquier facilities did not allow direct bodywork production. After MOTTO, LETOURNEUR & marchand, SAOUTCHIK , FAGET & VARNET, two other major coachbuilders became interested: ANTEM and CHAPRON , not forgetting FIGONI & FALASCHI. ANTEM was called in to meet the orders placed at the 1951 Motor Show and to relieve LETOURNEUR & MARCHAND. ANTEM bodywork was unique in that it was made entirely of metal. All DELAHAYE 235s were fitted with RUDGE spoke wheels, and only 2-door models were produced. All these bodies, produced individually or in very small series, were very expensive: a coach was worth 2, 780, 000 F compared with a CITROÊN TRACTION 15/ 6 which was worth 870, 000 F..... The model we are presenting is unique, a coach découvrable or more commonly known as a TARGA dating from 1952. It's a real collector's item. It is serial number 8180 045 and was delivered in Chantilly to Mr P, who kept it for 5 years. Then the car changed its registration to go to Paris, it was in the name of a company for 6 years, then taken over by the LEMAROIS garage in 1963 who sold it to Mr BDG who kept it for 9 years and stored it in a barn on a property in Normandy. But the car ran very little, and was sold in the Bordeaux region, where it was stored until 1986, i. e. 22 years without running... and sometimes stored in poor conditions. We have copies of the registration documents and photos of the car as it left the barn. Mr V bought it on 12/ 05/ 1986 and restored it. He kept it until 2007. Mr V left us a written record of all the repairs he carried out, and the car only had 18, 000 km on 16/ 10/ 1994 and 31, 630 km in March 2007. The car received a complete paint job after being stripped of all paint in 2005, following a complete overhaul of the running gear and engine in 1994. Throughout this period, the car took part in a number of rallies: - Rallye Poitiers Élégance in 1995 - Sortie VAC CADILLAC - 48 H de TROYES in 1996 - Circuit du Vigeant in 2000 - Circuit Val de Vienne in 2002 - Rallye VAC ANJOU in 2006 - Rallye du...
