Notifications
Clear all
Forum 43
16
Posts
8
Users
57
Reactions
2,943
Views
Topic starter
26/09/2024 4:17 am
Delahaye 135 M Competition Short - Chassis Nº48563 - was shown by Figoni et Falaschi on their 1937 Paris Salon stand and was indisputably the star of that Salon, drawing constant crowds. It was in fact a roadster example of the coupe shown at the previous year’s Paris Salon (Chassis Nº 46576) which itself was an early form of the coming ‘Baroque’ trend, rather than being in the Goutte d’Eau vein. (This original coupe was ordered by French industrialist and regular Figoni client M. Jeancart - more on whom next week - and was registered in January 1936).
Mounted on competition short 2.7-meter racing chassis with aluminium coachwork, the present cabriolet featured an high-performance triple-carburetor engine, but enjoyed luxury appointments, with deep red leather interior and matching carpets, crafted by Hermes The car incorporated four new French patents: 827640, for its aerodynamic design that allowed space within for the apex of the turning wheel whilst reducing exterior 'bulge'. This form continued to develop and ultimately came to house the headlamps (the eyes of the whale) on the early Narval examples. Patent 800427 for the crank-down disappearing windshield; 800723, for the special lightweight competition tubular seats; and 801728, for the disappearing convertible top.
Just prior to the Salon, and driven by a liveried chauffeur it was presented by Madame Figoni herself at the August Concours d’Elegance du Gardenia at Saint-Cloud, and also won at the Concours d’Elegance de Palais de Chaillot, (Paris Trocadero).
Immediately after the 1937 Paris Salon it was bought by Luiz Martins de Souza Dantas, the Ambassador of Brazil to France (1922 to 1944) and returned to the Figoni workshop in early 1938 to have its ‘cyclops’ headlamp removed and bumpers installed.
At the outbreak of World War II, the car was sold to a French collector, with a mere 1000 kilometres on the odometer and shipped to the Cote d’Azur where it remained until discovered by an Italian military officer and consequently shipped to Italy during the retreat at war’s end. It was rediscovered in Milan in 1947. At this point it was returned again to the Figoni workshop for overhaul and change in carburetion. Sold again with still a mere 5,200 Killometres on the clock, it was repainted white and when sold in 2001 to Miles Collier it still showed a mere 8,030 kilometres after 64 years.
(Any additional info. and / or corrections would be much appreciated - as always).
1/43 scale Resin by M.A. Collection (produced by ABC Brianza for Michel Sordet, Switzerland).
26/09/2024 6:41 am
Cool background - GREAT looking model! Thank you for the terrific presentation!
Topic starter
26/09/2024 7:09 am
Thank-you Tony, The model itself is about 20 years old and looking a bit tired, notably it's number plates which seem to have blacking 'printed' onto a silver ground, and flake off if one breathes near it! However it's not something that couldn't be rectified with proper attention (any suggestions from forum friends would be welcomed) and it is one of my favourite models.
Fred Eliseeff and John Kuvakas reacted
26/09/2024 6:31 pm
thanks Charles fascinating information. I love the 2 Paris Salon shots
27/09/2024 5:22 pm
Here is Delahaye 48563, as it exists today. My somewhat fuzzy pics were taken at the Sensuous Steel exhibit at the Frist Museum in 2013.
A resin version was issued under the Nickel brand, around 2017:
Topic starter
27/09/2024 5:51 pm
@mg-harv Sensuous Steel is a perfect description and the car looks fabulous in your photographs. Your Nickel model is particularly interesting as I've never seen it before. Most of the Nickel models used to be found on MAFMA's web-site: is this model a recent edition?
Charles Rockett and Tony Perrone reacted
29/09/2024 5:19 am
That's wonderful history. Delahye, Delage, Voisin,Bugatti Panhard and other brands have been producing magnificent models of pre- war Golden Age in France. Their design was very spectacular.
Will be wonderful to learn more about the models made by MA Collection and Nickel. When were they produced? How many items of each were made? What are their details and cinstruction features?
I hope, these questions are interesting for collectors.
Topic starter
29/09/2024 6:47 am
Hello Fred, the cars were researched - and I imagine models created - by Michel Sordet of Geneva, Switzerland and manufactured by Carlo Brianza of ABC Brianza in Italy. I was buying through an agent and mine came in acrylic case with etched MA name-plate in ABC Brianza outer box, but others I've bought since are screwed to acrylic base in white card box with MA Collection label. Literally hundreds of models were produced from 1920s to 1960s (lots of nice Suprastellas) and I seem to remember, of 175 unit production runs (though this may be poor memory). A comprehensive list used to be found at Sordetmaco.com but certainly where I am, nothing is showing at present. However a site is showing at http://macosordet.over-blog.com/article-146075.html which seems to be semi-functioning and at least has a contact page. This suggests production years 2000 - 2004.
Below is a list of the MA Collection models I have. I was planning on doing a weekly post of these and more everyday models, outlining a potted history of this design vein (1936 - 1949) but am worried this might become a bore!)
1937 Delahaye 135 (1937 Paris Salon)
1939 Lago-Talbot
1939 Bugatti Gangloff
194? Delahaye 135 Franay (1946 Paris Salon)
1947 Delahaye 135 Narval Nº 3 Rita Hayworth
1948 Delahaye 135 Ghia Aigle Coupe
Topic starter
29/09/2024 7:37 am
@frank Thanks Frank, I shall press on!
Tony Perrone and Chris Sweetman reacted
30/09/2024 5:03 pm
Great post and discussion! Here as another fuzzy pic from the Sensuous Steel exhibit in my hometown, Nashville, TN.
That was such a great show!
07/10/2024 5:04 pm
Re: Nickel models, I believe they were meant to be a less expensive alternative to the Ilario/Chromes models, also available from MAFMA. They were editions of 250. I think mine dates from 2017 or 2018. Also in the range, and also from the exhibit at the Frist, was Chassis 46576, a 135M competition coupe.
There have been two Frist exhibits and one at the High Museum in Atlanta, where I have tried to get all the cars that were there. I've done the best with Dream Cars at the High: I have 14 of the 17 cars that were there, in the colors exhibited.
Page 1 / 2
Next