135 S EX LE MANS 24 HOURS

Transcription

1 135 S EX LE MANS 24 HOURS

2 Emile Delahaye was amongst the pioneers of motor car production. Designing and building his first car in 1895 and entering his first race, the daunting Paris-Marseilles-Paris, in Although he didn t win he was one of the very few entrants who finished, setting a precedent as he went on to finish every race he entered.

3 The company proved to very successful in the early years of the 20 th century and in the thirties bought first Chenard et Walcker and then Delage. About this time a brilliant young designer, Jean François was engaged, and one of his first tasks was to design a new medium size sportscar. He took the 3.5 litre six cylinder 18CV engine fitted with 3 carburettors and installed it in a new sturdy box section steel chassis with a 8ft 10 wheelbase. Covered with lightweight aluminium bodywork the Delahaye type 135 weighed in at just over 20 cwt with perfect 50/50 weight distribution. With competition work in mind enormous mechanical brakes with Bendix self wrapping shoes and high geared steering were fitted. Delahaye had produced that rare thing a sports car that was exceptionally good on both road and track. As a road car the 135 was a hit with those that wanted a good looking performance car and could afford it. The beautifully proportioned chassis was especially popular with the better carrosseries in both France and Italy making the finished article the car to be seen in. And the 135 S proved to be a very successful race car competitive at circuits all over Europe with many victories including the biggest prize of all, a one two finish at Le Mans in It even won an event organised by the Autocar to establish the fastest road car in the Britain.

4 Delahaye built 16 of the short chassis 3.5 litre 135S Competition cars of which only 12 survive. Delahaye 135 S no Delahaye 135S no was delivered to Louis Dreyfus, alias Heldé in April 1936 and registered in Paris. It has a short chassis of 2m70 in length, and was bodied by Chapron, the order being placed by Henri Stoffel on 20 February 1936 on behalf of Heldé and bearing the number, As was the case with his first Delahaye, 46078, Heldé did not use it himself as he was racing a Talbot Lago but sold to Henri Langlois, alias Jack Seylair who shared it with his friend, Paul Benazet and they would take part in several races between 1936 and Dates Events No. Drivers Place /07/36 Paris-Pyrenees-Paris Rally 15/05/37 Grand Prix des Frontières Seylair/Benazet 1 st 3-litre 12 Benazet 5 th 22/05/37 Coupe du Printemps 26 Seylair/ Benazet 4 th 22/05/37 Coupe de Vitesse 26 Seylair 3 rd 22/05/37 Critérium Tourisme 26 Seylair 2 ne 20/06/37 24 heures du Mans 15 Seylair/Benazet DNF 18/07/37 Grand Prix de la Marne Seylair/Benazet 7 th 08/05/38 Coupes de Paris 58 Benazet 5 th 19/06/38 Cote d Ars Benazet 1 st Sportscar 25/09/38 Cote Lapize Benazet 1 st

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6 After the war the car had various owners and changed registration number frequently. Dates Registration nos. Owners May YC8 René Tellier June RP8? July BK75 Etablissements de Lavergne October 1952 Jean Pierre Bernard, with coupe Guilloré body with an sunroof made of Plexiglas July AX78 Georges Pillet October 1954 Fernand Malmoulet September EH75 Garage St. Honoré May 1956 April 1958 October 1966 May 1978 Maurice Aumasson Robert of Négre du Clat Jean Michel Corteel Maurice Broual, who removed the Guilloré body shell and replaced it with a racing body shell of his own manufacture, but he also removed the engine which he fitted in the Chaboud Spécial 001 which he also owned June LP69 Paul Masse August PE 59 Bruno Vendiesse; the car not having an engine, he fitted a 235 and had the car rebodied in the UK 1990 Peter Kaus, Rosso Bianco Museum XUG Frank Allocca

7 Although the original engine was removed by Maurice Broual in the 1980s it was recently tracked down and re-united with On behalf of the Delahaye Club, historian Andre Vaucourt recently published a definitive list of the surviving competition cars in the club magazine and the entry for is re-produced below.

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