Arrow, Tank, Teardrop - 1930's car design

What amazingly streamlined automobiles and models. Beautiful !

@mikedetorrice Many thanks Mike and it was fun taking these shots of this spectacular time in car design scaled down to 1:43.

They look great in your images !

Front views for the Delage teardrop streamliners:

Left to right:

Spark Delage V12 Labourdette 1937 - designed to race

Spark Delage D8 120 Pourtout 1937 - designed to desire

Spark Delage D8 120 Letourneur 1938 - designed to wow ... and as basis for volume production albeit 12 in total produced

Minichamps Hispano Suiza Dubonnet Xenia 1938

I well remember back in 2012 when Minichamps announced they were replicating in miniature cars held in the Mullin Museum there was an air of excitement on the old Forum 43. I think this Xenia was the first to be issued despite it being labelled ‘Edition 2’ and I remember the cost in £’s was the same amount folks on the other side of the pond paid in $’s! For me the price was £99.95 which was on the expensive side when in the same time period Spark’s Delage streamliners cost me between £50 to £70 each.

The Diecast Zone’s review is here: https://diecast.org/model-details/?pdb=26639

This review was written I think by @mg-harv who provided images of the model and the real thing.

One of the finest examples of automotive Art Deco, and also a teardrop design, was created by Andre Dubonnet to showcase his and engineer’s Antoine-Marie Chedru patented four-wheel independent “hyperflex” suspension system. This they developed in 1927 and promoted as having the “suppleness of a cat”. The chassis is an extensively modified Hispano-Suiza H6 that Dubonnet had seen at the 1932 Paris Salon and subsequently purchased. The car body was designed by Jean Andreau, a man known for designing avant-garde streamlined aircraft and automobiles. Then in 1938 Dubonnet employed renowned coachbuilder Jacques Saoutchik to construct this revolutionary body – Dubonnet’s fifth prototype attempt that he named “Xenia” after his late wife.

A fine overview and images of this sleek car and model, Chris. What a beautiful machine that shows up wonderfully in your photographs !

@mikedetorrice Thank you Mike, and I really appreciate your comments.

British Teardrops

Bentley Embiricos 1939

The first car needs no introduction and is the legendary ‘Embiricos Bentley’. Commissioned in 1937 by the Greek shipping magnate and playboy racing driver André Embiricos who wanted a bespoke coupé specifically designed for dashing across Europe at high speeds - at Brooklands it achieved 114mph. Based on the 1939 B119MX chassis, the Embiricos Bentley was designed as the ultimate continental cruiser by Georges Paulin and brought to life by coachbuilder Pourtout.

After WWII this Bentley entered Le Mans on three occasions. In 1949 it was placed 6th overall, 1950 14th and in 1951 although placed 31st it was officially a DNF as insufficient distance was covered. 

This model is made by Minichamps in die-cast zinc alloy.

Bentley Corniche 1939

This amazing aerodynamic saloon car was going to be the way forward for Bentley. The original whilst being road tested in France crashed. The chassis made it back to the UK but the streamliner body was left in France and was destroyed in a bombing raid in the early part of WWII. The model represents a modern rebuild by Bentley.

The original was designed by Georges Paulin who also designed the ‘Embiricos’ Bentley. This time the commission was from Bentley for a a similar ‘streamlined’ style on a 4-door Mark V. A Mark V prototype chassis (14BV) was sent to France, where Bentley designer Ivan Evernden worked jointly with Paulin at the Paris workshops of coach builder Carosserie Vanvooren.

The model is made by Matrix in resin.

Langonda V12 Lancefield 1939

This aerodynamic coupé was designed to compete at the 1940 Le Mans race. Featuring a Lagonda chassis with a Bentley designed V12 engine clothed in a body built by Lagonda's go to coach builder Lancefield. The chassis and engine combination with a conventional competition body finished 3rd and 4th at the 1939 Le Mans race. So, Lagonda were convinced that they could win at Le Mans again after their previous victory in 1935. Unfortunately, WWII got in the way so this dream was never fulfilled. Since it was built there have been several modifications and this is the version now housed at the Louwman Museum. Rumour has it that two or even three Lancefield Lagonda aerodynamic coupés were produced but this claim is doubted by The Automobile magazine.

Another model made by Matrix in resin.

Footnote

I like to imagine what car manufacturers would have entered Le Mans if there was a race in 1940.

Would the eventual winner be an aerodynamic coupé? An interesting conundrum and likely entrants the teardrop Lagonda Lancefield, Bentley Embricios, Delage V12 or the blade Alfa Romeo. Would a tank design gain its third victory? With Jean Bugatti's death in 1939 would the tank be another from Bugatti? Then we have to take into account the conventional racers who had excellent places in 1939 with the Delage D6 which finished 2nd, Delahaye 135CS came in 6th and 8th or the new kid on the block BMW who's 328 Touring coupé (another teardrop) finished 5th and their open versions finishing 7th and 9th. 

Not really a (British) teardrop, but I love it...

Jaguar MK VII 1:1 and MK VIIM 1:43     

@ralf Hi Ralf You can certainly see 1930's streamlining influence on this Jaguar with integrated headlights and mudguards plus spats covering the rear wheels. Very nice Milestone Miniature model - I used to see the owners of Gems and Cobwebs at ModeleX in the mid to late 1990's. 

Here is the Renault 40CV record car from 1926. Might be an Altaya from the Renault series, but I show it as made by Universal Hobbies.