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This topic covers the D8-15, D8-85, D8-105, D8-100, and D8-120.
Delage D8-120 Cabrio (1939)
Delage D8-120 coupé Pourtout
D8 120 cabrio Saoutchik
VOITURES DE LEGENDE (1430) : DELAGE D8-120 S SAOUTCHIK CABRIOLET - 1939 - VICTOR ASSOCIATION (montesquieuvolvestre.com)
1937 Delage D8-120 Aerosport Coupe
Country of Origin: France
Design Info: The D8 is a luxury car that was sold as a rolling chassis by Delage in several sizes for use as sedans, coupes, limousines, and roadsters. The D8 S versions, including the D8-120 Aerosport, were short-wheelbase sports versions. The Aerosport Coupe, bodied by coachbuilder LeTourneur et Marchand, featured an unusual pillarless hardtop design well before such styling would become popular, and the body structure featured partial wood construction. Though each coachbuilt body was slightly different, the Aerosport Coupes followed 2 base designs: a notchback and a fastback. Many D8s also featured a Cotal preselector gearbox, unique in that it used an electromagnetic clutch for smooth operation.
Engine Info: The D8 was named for its straight-eight engine, a first for French automakers when it was first released in 1933. The Delage engine featured an overhead cam and was available in sizes from 2.7 to 4.7 liters. The D8-120 featured the largest of these, making 120hp, good for at least 85 mph. Some of these cars may have been unofficially supercharged by the factory.
Type: The D8-120 Aerosport Coupe is a pre-war luxury sports touring car, similar to coupe versions of the Bugatti Type 57 (to which it is often compared), Alfa Romeo 8C, and Mercedes-Benz 540K.
History: Louis Delage had earned an engineering degree in 1893, and had been involved in auto design for several years before acquiring enough money to open his own factory in 1905. Releasing his first car in 1906, the Type A, his company grew rapidly, in large part thanks to his participation and success in early auto racing and other competitive trials. Delage entered various Grand Prix races with some success, and won the 1914 Indianapolis 500. World War I put a halt on the sport, but by 1923 Delage had returned to racing, continuing their success.
Unfortunately, these successes would not protect the company from the economic turmoils of the Great Depression. While Delage was able to successfully develop two new cars to replace their aging models for the 1930s, the six-cylinder D6 and the eight-cylinder D8, Louis needed to take a substantial loan in 1933 to actually facilitate production of the cars. Failing to raise the funds to pay back this loan, the company went into liquidation in 1935, and while a prominent British Delage dealer named Walter Watney temporarily took control of the company, it would quickly pass into the control of competitor Delahaye, who promptly pushed Louis out of the company he started with a paltry pension leaving him unable to afford even a personal car until his death.
The D8 itself, despite the company’s failure, was widely considered the peak of Delage cars. The eight-cylinder engine, paired with the (initially optional, but later standard) electromagnetic clutch, provided one of the smoothest rides available at a time when modern automatic transmissions had yet to be invented, and even the semi-automatics (like those used by REO) were not widely available. The elegance of the D8 was such that it inspired the phrase “A man drives an Alfa, a man is driven in a Rolls, but a man gives to his mistress a Delage.” Its extravagance was such that it was more seen as something one would buy as a gift than ever for one’s self. The LeTourneur et Marchand bodied cars, the Aerosport Coupes, were particularly renowned for their attractive designs.
The beginning of World War II spelled the end of the D8, as passenger car production was halted during the invasion of France, and later Delahaye (and therefore Delage) fell under the control of the Germans until the end of the war. After the war, Delage did resume production of the D6 (until 1954), but the extravagant, exclusive, and expensive D8 was discontinued. Less than 2000 D8s of all versions were produced, and the production of the Aerosport Coupes was somewhere between 14 and 20.
Why it’s cool/unique/significant: Delage was once considered the rival of Bugatti, one of the two most prestigious manufacturers of France. Grand Prix successes, the win at Indy, and a win at Le Mans almost a decade before the inaugural 24 Hour Race solidified the brand’s sporting heritage…for a time. Now, unfortunately, few people remember the brand.
Bugatti dissolved a few years after Delage, and perhaps it would be forgotten as well, if not for the brand’s revival, first with the EB110 and later the more successful Veyron. Perhaps Delage’s time has come, then, with the new revival Delage D12 hypercar. Whether this new F1 inspired car is successful or not, Delage’s history is also worth celebrating. How better than with the most beautiful car they ever built?
