Our Story
Our Story
Un brief summary
founder
Delage have to their credit many world records, including a GRAND PRIX world’s championship, and more awards at the principal Concours d’Elegance than any other FRENCH car BRAND.
1905
Founded in 1905 by Louis Delage, the company commenced production with a single-cylinder De Dion-engined runabout and within a few years was offering multi-cylinder designs. THEN DELAGE OFFERED MORE AND MORE HIGH-END CARS UNTIL BECOMING ONE OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS BRAND IN THE FRENCH CAR HISTORY.
Champion of the world
The publicity value of racing was recognized right from the start BY LOUIS DELAGE, a single-cylinder Delage winning the Coupe Des Voiturettes as early as 1908. THEN CAME THE Victories at LE Mans and the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, THAT were achieved prior to WW1, FOLLOWED BY THE GRAND PRIX CHAMPION OF THE WORLD TITLE IN 1927.
Land speed world records
the company becAme a major force in racing in the 1920s AND 1930S, setting SEVERAL World Land Speed RecordS.
Four-cylinder and six-cylinder cars formed the mainstay of DELAGE’S touring-car production in the 1920s. Then, at the 1929 Paris Salon, Delage launched the magnificent 4-liter D8 straight-eight, a model destined to attract the creative attentions of Europe’s finest coachbuilders: DE VILLARS, POURTOUT, CHAPRON, LETOURNEUR & MARCHAND, Figoni & Falaschi, Fernandes & Darrin to name THE MOST FAMOUS.
Delahaye from 1935
Following the take-over by Delahaye in 1935, THE Delage CARS were built to Delahaye designs but retained their own superior short-stroke engines and hydraulic brakes.
D6-70
The powerful 2,729cc overhead-valve six cylinder
Introduced for 1937, the D6-70 was powered by Delage’s own powerful 2,729cc overhead-valve ‘six’, which drive via a Cotal electrically operated four-speed gearbox. Both fast and durable, the D6-70 proved good enough to win the Tourist Trophy at Donington Park in 1938 and secure a brace of Le Mans 24-Hour second places.
« La voiture chic » or « la belle voiture française »
From getting records and racing titles, to being internationally acclaimed as “La Voiture Chic” or “La Belle Voiture Francaise”, Delage have fascinated car enthusiasts for almost a half century, until its last production car in 1953.
Footprint
A MAJOR footprint on automotive History
aero-coupé
by pourtout
Collections
the finest remaining Delage are still sold to collectors all over the world (sometimes for several Millions), and fans are still numerous enough, 66 YEARS AFTER THE LAST PRODUCED DELAGE CAR, to be organized in clubs in MANY countries…
OUR COMPLETE STORY
Many books have been written on Delage.
We particularly recommend that of Daniel Cabart, Claude Rouxel and David Burgess-Wise, very complete in 2 parts: “Delage: France’s Finest Car”.
