Car Details

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9803
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    MPN
    MP437-115130
    Brand
    Minichamps
    Comments
    MSRP
    95.00
    Scale
    1:43
    Model Year
    1939
    Automaker
    Delage
    Model
    D8-120, C.H. Chapron
    Color
    Two Tone Red
    Ltd Ed
    0
    Date Issued
    March 12, 2012
    Series
    Mullin Museum
    Link to buy
    Find Delage at Legacy Diecast
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    Review

    Before reviewing this model, first a little about the Mullin Collection itself. The <b>Mullin Automotive Museum</b> opened on April 15, 2010 to showcase the car collection of Peter Mullin, co-founder of M Financial and M Life and a well-known southern California philanthropist. He believes the French cars of the 1920s and 1930s represent the most beautiful ever made. Plus, he’s passionate about vintage racing. There are more than 100 one-of-a-kind automobiles, primarily French cars from 1918-1948 clothed in coachwork from the best French carrosseries. The best examples of rare Bugattis, Delages, Delahayes, Hispano-Suizas, Talbot-Lagos, Voisins, and others are on display. The museum, which formerly housed the car collection of Otis Chandler, encloses 46,821 sq. ft. and besides cars, has furniture and other Art Deco/Art Nouveau memorabilia. The next time I get to L. A., this will be numero uno on my list of sites to see — and admission is only ten bucks! Here’s the address, phone, and website info:
    The Mullin Automotive Museum
    1421 Emerson Avenue
    Oxnard, CA 93033
    http://www.mullinautomotivemuseum.com
    805-385-5400

    Many months ago, Minichamps announced they will base a new line on the Mullin collection. There are to be 22 resin models in 1:43 scale, and (so far) three have been announced in 1:18. Minichamps is known for their diecast metal and plastic replicas (which were preceded prior to 1992 by white metal models). This series is their first major foray into a series of resin models (though they have dabbled before), all produced in China.

    The first in the series is the <b>1939 Delage D8-120</b>, with body by Chapron. Delahaye acquired Delage in 1935 via an intermediary who had purchased all the failed company’s assets. The first result following this takeover was the D8-120, powered by a new 8-cylinder engine rated at 115 bhp. The long straight eight mounted in a relatively low chassis resulted in a field day for designers, including Henri Chapron. This particular car, chassis 51760, was shipped to America before its French owner could get out of France prior to WW2. It ended up appearing in the Academy Award winning film “An American in Paris”.

    So much for history, on to the model of the <b>1939 Delage D8-120</b>. First, the colors! When the first pictures were made public on Forum 43, much controversy erupted over the shades used on the initial prototype. Not to worry, a comparison of the production model, with its deep dark maroon body and dark red fenders, appears to be a match based on pictures from the Mullin museum. Overall proportions and “feel” look great.

    Small details abound but here’s my favorite: if you look very closely at the grille through the lower hole, you can see a polished protrusion that a crank handle would have mated to, in the event it was needed. Incredible! Headlight lenses are fluted and vertically aligned. The Delage emblem on the grille is given a delicate blue-wash, and Chapron emblems are mounted immediately past the doors. Chrome door and window handles draw you into the interior details and, held at just the right angle, beautifully detailed gauges can be seen, complete with a redline on the tach.

    Back to exterior details, the chrome plated photoetch is generally very well applied. The very thin wipers are painted black photoetch. The wheels are another fine point, cast with the spaces between the spokes open. Getting out the magnifying glass, I found extraordinarily fine red pinstriping on the spokes! Chassis detail is minimal, typical of most resin models. Overall an attractive and very refined first model in this series — cannot wait for the others!

    Reviewed by Harvey Goranson · October 23, 2012

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