La Belle Delage!

DELAGE HISTORY

Before ruthless, post war taxation system toppled Paris from its once proud position as the World centre of Women's fashion and proud cars - one marque, Delage, seemed to link these two diverse forms of art more closely together.

La Belle Delage became special favorites among the best dressed women in Paris, despite some counter attractions by the more expensive Hispano-Suiza and Isotta-Fraschini.

Women in particular found their Delages not only pleasing to the eye, but equally delightful to drive with light, responsive controls, good independent front suspension, while Delage were among the first to fit all synchromesh gearboxes, long before the war.

Louis Delage, talented artist-engineer grew up in the French province of Cognac, where he was born in 1874. Only hard work and determination to save every Franc he could lay his hands on, enabled the youthful Delage to rise from the comparative poverty of a working class home to become one of the great motorcar manufacturers of France.

Sporting interests did not prevent Louis Delage from continuing to improve the range of his vehicles. At the 1923 October Salon Show, a new improvement of model 11CV appeared - the DI, replacing the DE.

The DI was one of those Vehicles that led to the fame of Delage. Its mechanical aspect, well designed and simple was of excellent quality.

ABOUT THIS CAR

Chassis: 13987

Engine: 3113

VCC ID: VV3907

NZ Certificate Of Registration Available.

We know, through photos and meticulously documented restoration and build history, that this car was restored from the ground up. That's total restoration i. e.: chassis, woodwork, upholstery, electrical circuit, engine, everything is new.

We know it was owned by Russell Hugh Barnard of Christchurch, and a certain Colin Lyon of Pleasant Point, New Zealand. It is our understanding that one of them restored the Vehicle.

It is VCC registered in New Zealand and also member of the Delage Club in New Zealand... so no doubt that both these clubs in New Zealand would have much more information about its provenance.

Car is immaculate and in exceptional working order.

Louis Delage created an important part of the tradition and heritage of the automotive golden age in France. Delage cars have all that is meant by ‘la belle voiture français,’ together with Bugattis, Hispano-Suiza and, later, Talbot-Lago, which inspired France’s coach builders to produce moving works of art.

This is a very special car and Delage's reputation as France's Finest Car is undisputed. Its multiplicity of models was separated from competition with such fabulous designs as the Indianapolis winning Type Y, the desmodromic valve Type S that Barney Oldfield drove to fifth in the 1916 Indy 500, the 2LCV V-12 Grand Prix cars and the all-conquering 15-S-8 GP of 1927 which swept every grand prix that year, a car that many have said has no equal in GP history for design and execution.

Will be sold WOF'd and Registered IF sold in New Zealand.

PLEASE READ: The Purchaser is encouraged to personally fully inspect the vehicle and also to have the vehicle inspected, and fully assessed by an experienced, independent, specialist garage - before committing to purchase. While the Purchaser is entitled to rely on statements given by Waimak Classic Cars as being correct, where goods such as vehicles are concerned, with so many moving parts and rust being an issue with older vehicles; a Purchaser who chooses not to seek independent professional assistance when assessing the quality of what they propose to buy is considered as buying at their own risk, and if the vehicle then turns out to be of less than the represented quality, or not up to the Purchaser's expectation, or in the Purchaser opinion not fit for purpose; then the Purchaser is considered to have contributed to their own loss and should not expect any refunds or betterment from Waimak Classic Cars.

TRANSPORT / WORLDWIDE SHIPPING CAN BE ORGANISED ON THIS VEHICLE ON BUYER'S BEHALF AT BUYERS COST.

Viewing is Monday to Friday BY PRIOR APPOINTMENT only.