This particular car was one of the last examples of about 56
Delage D8-120S cars built, the S denoting an updated, lower, and
more sporting chassis than the 120 chassis introduced in 1936. This
car was commissioned by the French government to be displayed
at the 1939 Paris Auto Salon. The timing wasn’t very good—the
show was canceled ahead of the fighting with Germany that began
in September. The car was hidden before the German invasion but
reemerged after the war, again in government service to be driven in
parades and for other official duties.
The car was then sold in 1949 to a manufacturer of travel trail-
ers, who added a hitch and photographed the car all over Europe
with his trailers. Later the car was restored to its original config-
uration and eventually sold to John W. Rich for his Pennsylvania
museum in 2011. At the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
it won the Elegance in Motion Trophy and the Most Elegant
Convertible award.
lu
(lu)
#1