PARIS SALON 1936 DELAHAYE 135

@rich-sufficool Me 2!!

@perrone1 This is indeed M. Harguindeguy's Delahaye and below is a heavily edited precis from a conceptcarz.com article on the car and that concours.

RIP Jacques 'Frenchy' Harguindeguy Jan. 27, 1929 ~ Oct. 18, 2007 ......

Delivered new in 1936 to Vienna, Austria, to a bohemian industrialist, it was re-discovered in Czechoslovakia in 1997 and purchased by Jacques 'Frenchy' Harguindeguy (an individual famous for collecting, restoring and showing antique cars), who restored the car and went on to win best of Show at the 50th anniversary of the Pebble Beach Concours in 2000. It is one of two known to survive on the short wheelbase chassis.

Picking Best of Show at the fiftieth celebration of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance was no easy task, but ultimately the confetti flew over a car that dared to exhibit both dramatic flair and whimsy. The car, a 1937 Delahaye 135 M Figoni & Falaschi Cabriolet owned by Jacques and Betty Harguindeguy, was a delectable gray-pearl and bing-cherry-red affair with no end to its luscious swoops and swirls. Harguindeguy had lovingly done most of the restoration himself. Describing it, he talked his way through the car's flowing lines, its low carriage, the collapsible windshield with the perfect V-shape ('not too little, not too much'), the convertible top that looks good up or down, and the tiny tail on the trunk. And then, of course, there was his favorite detail: 'The piece I like best is the spear that starts at the side of the front of the hood, going all the way down it, then continuing in a circle to the bottom of the door, and concluding with the little spear on top.....That's real Geo Ham artistry. That's what makes the car.'

After being hidden during WWII chassis #48666 was often seen around Prague in the 1960s but was discovered partially disassembled in 1977 and immediately underwent a meticulous restoration with input from Joseph Figoni's son Claude. It still had the original coachwork, exterior trim, engine, gearbox, and other significant components. Samples of the original paint were used to return to the same colors as it was delivered in 1937.

Posted by: @charles-rockett

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This is indeed M. Harguindeguy's Delahaye and below is a heavily edited precis from a conceptcarz.com article on the car and that concours.

great historical info thanks Charles

Posted by: @geoff-jowett

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Posted by: @charles-rockett

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This is indeed M. Harguindeguy's Delahaye and below is a heavily edited precis from a conceptcarz.com article on the car and that concours.

great historical info thanks Charles

@perrone1 I believe rather than a clay moulding, Joseph Figoni constructed a form of metal 'straps' and would walk around the skeletal form, pushing and pulling at these to create the exact flowing form he desired.  As Raffi Minasian, yourself and the rest of us have discovered, it works!  I spent two hours at least walking around the 165 World's Fair Delahaye at a Louis Vuitton concours at the Hurlingham Club, and the way the forms flowed; one into another, whilst changing planes and more acute curves, is simply extraordinary. I hope to post more of these soon.

Posted by: @charles-rockett

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@perrone1 I believe rather than a clay moulding, Joseph Figoni constructed a form of metal 'straps' and would walk around the skeletal form, pushing and pulling at these to create the exact flowing form he desired.  As Raffi Minasian, yourself and the rest of us have discovered, it works!  I spent two hours at least walking around the 165 World's Fair Delahaye at a Louis Vuitton concours at the Hurlingham Club, and the way the forms flowed; one into another, whilst changing planes and more acute curves, is simply extraordinary. I hope to post more of these soon.

Excellent; can't wait!  

@rich-sufficool +1.

Loving this thread about these stunning works of automotive art. Thank you for starting this thread Charles and to all of you who contributed. It has given me much pleasure to read and learn a bit more about the 1:1's as well as these small 1/43rd gems.

Here is A Delahaye 135 not yet posted as well as a few other pieces of kinetic sculpture. Hope you enjoy the pics.

And of a very special Bugatti

Ettore Bugatti proudly standing near two of his creations. In the background is Carl Benz (grey hair) and Gottlieb Daimler (balding) checking out Bugatti's works of art from heaven.

Pic of the entire late 30's Concours d' Elegance diorama with three interlopers from the future crashing the party (back left).

PS. A Route 66 diorama abuts to the right and a Carrera Panamerica diorama to the left

@stewil Thanks, Steve, for contributing these beautiful models including the repaint of the present thread's starting point.  You've amassed an amazing collection of these thirties, French masterpieces.  Some I have planed to do a little write-up on (your 1936 Figoni Delage next Thursday) but the Chapron and Van Vooren (cream/grey Bugatti ?) pieces would be great to hear more about if you had time. One that's intriguing me is the primrose/ royal blue Talbot-Lago convertible. Is this Chassis Nº90019 (which I've also planed to do a little history of) ?  I have never heard of this car in this scheme and I also wonder if it is a Heco model too?  Thanks again, your diorama is a real treat to see.

Posted by: @charles-rockett

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@stewil Thanks, Steve, for contributing these beautiful models including the repaint of the present thread's starting point.  You've amassed an amazing collection of these thirties, French masterpieces.  Some I have planed to do a little write-up on (your 1936 Figoni Delage next Thursday) but the Chapron and Van Vooren (cream/grey Bugatti ?) pieces would be great to hear more about if you had time. One that's intriguing me is the primrose/ royal blue Talbot-Lago convertible. Is this Chassis Nº90019 (which I've also planed to do a little history of) ?  I have never heard of this car in this scheme and I also wonder if it is a Heco model too?  Thanks again, your diorama is a real treat to see.

@geoff-jowett  Big +1!!

@charles-rockett 

The 1938 Talbot T150C Cabriolet, yel/blu, is LE#16/100 by Heco. Is that the one you inquired about? The primrose color confuses me.

@stewil Pale yellow - yes, that's the one I have a Provence Miniatures copy in original blues and hope to do a post before long. It changed colour to bright yellow and black about a decade or so, ago (like a bee) so hopefully it is now the colours as seen in your beautiful model.  I love these Heco models - arguably the nicest of the European modellers and your Chassis Nº90019 is simply stunning. I think my favourite car, ever!

Posted by: @stewil

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@charles-rockett 

The 1938 Talbot T150C Cabriolet, yel/blu, is LE#16/100 by Heco. Is that the one you inquired about? The primrose color confuses me.

 

@perrone1  "Many of the car entrants at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, dress in coordinated garb to the car's paint colors. I absolutely love how you have the lady next to the car in blue & yellow. Perfect! "

Also having the car repainted to match the dress ! The Maharani, Stella de Khapurthala - to come.