Class And Style As Exuded By Delahaye
black mamba
Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
Back in the early 50's, when American car manufacturers were turning out clunkers of monstrous proportions, this svelte beauty was introduced by that French maker of beautiful cars.....Delahaye. This example is a 1951 Delahaye Type 235 Roadster. This very car was the center piece of the 1951 Paris car show. Even aficionados of the brand have probably never laid eyes on one of these.
After the war, Delahaye....as most European manufacturers....struggled to capture their past glory as a producer of exquisite and memorable autos. Some of their cars, particularly those of the later 30's, are regarded as being the most beautiful and sensuous cars to ever grace the road. This car was intended to once again carry the banner forward for Delahaye....and it certainly had the looks to do so.
Sadly, the market conditions of the time worked against the French company. And the fact that this Type 235 Roadster cost more than twice as much as some of its competitors ( the Jaguar XK 120, for example ) didn't help either. After making only 84 of these gorgeous cars, Delahaye folded tent in 1954. At least it left with a bang, and not a whimper, when it produced this car. Its six-cylinder in-line 3.5 liter engine with 3 down-draft Solex carbs put out 150 HP.....easily propelling the car over 100 MPH.
After the war, Delahaye....as most European manufacturers....struggled to capture their past glory as a producer of exquisite and memorable autos. Some of their cars, particularly those of the later 30's, are regarded as being the most beautiful and sensuous cars to ever grace the road. This car was intended to once again carry the banner forward for Delahaye....and it certainly had the looks to do so.
Sadly, the market conditions of the time worked against the French company. And the fact that this Type 235 Roadster cost more than twice as much as some of its competitors ( the Jaguar XK 120, for example ) didn't help either. After making only 84 of these gorgeous cars, Delahaye folded tent in 1954. At least it left with a bang, and not a whimper, when it produced this car. Its six-cylinder in-line 3.5 liter engine with 3 down-draft Solex carbs put out 150 HP.....easily propelling the car over 100 MPH.
I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
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