2020 RM Sotheby's Paris Sale (Delahaye Announcement)

Three Delahaye 135 cars – a roadster, cabriolet, and coach – were announced for the RM Sotheby’s Paris 2020 classic car auction during Retromobile Week.

Three Delahayes — Diana Varga © 2019 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

RM Sotheby’s announced a group of rare Delahaye models for sale its seventh annual Paris auction, due to take place on 5 February 2020 at the Place Vauban. All three – a 1946 Delahaye 135 Cabriolet, a 1939 Delahaye 135 Roadster and a 1949 Delahaye 135 Coach by Chapron are from the Dayez Collection that also includes an expansive set of spare Delahaye parts, to go under the hammer as a separate lot.

1939 Delahaye 135 Roadster

The 1939 Delahaye 135 Roadster, chassis no. 47420, (Est. €500,000 – €800,000) is widely regarded as a desirable European pre-war classic and is presented in immaculate condition having recently been restored to concourse standard. The build of the car by the French automotive manufacturer commenced in 1939, but completed in 1947, likely due to the outbreak of war.

The 13^th and final Delahaye Roadster designed by respected French poster artist Georges Hamel—otherwise known as Géo Ham—the resplendent car was built on the Competition Court chassis. This Roadster was presented at the 1947 Trocadéro Concours d’Élegance in Paris by Miss France, Juliette Figueras, and in 1948 appeared at the Biarritz Concours.

In the 1960s, the car was stored and eventually forgotten in Bordeaux, where it subsequently lost its original body. In 2005, the Roadster was found by Jacques Dayez, who commissioned a full restoration including complete body rebuild by Tessier in Tours, France.

1946 Delahaye 135 Cabriolet

As a garage stablemate, the 1946 Delahaye 135 Cabriolet, chassis no. 800308, (Est. €350,000 to €450,000), is more well-traveled, having been exported upon construction to a representative of the French embassy in Argentina.

This example, with its sleek lines and elegant hood the ideal ingredients to any classic convertible design, later went on sale at a show in Buenos Aires with some modifications having been made including a new bumper and a new hood in the style of coachbuilder Guilloré.

Like the Roadster, the car was stored for a number of years before being imported back to France in 2003, where it also underwent restoration work at Tessier.

1949 Delahaye 135 Coach by Chapron

The third car from the French marque in the collection—a 1949 Delahaye 135 Coach by Chapron—is a restoration project with excellent potential to be returned to Concours standard, having been in storage for a number of years (Est. €50,000 to €60,000, offered without reserve).

An assortment of Delahaye spare parts for any of the three model body types on offer here – including five engines, a Cotal gearbox, fuel tanks, spare wheels, axles, steering wheels and more – is also presented as one complete lot and would prove to be a useful addition to the workshop for any bidder looking to buy a Delahaye from the collection, or for an existing owner of a classic Delahaye model (Est. €30,000 to €40,000, offered without reserve).

A 1993 Land Rover Defender 110 is also presented as part of the collection in Paris, having been used by the owner to tow and trailer the Delahaye cars between locations (Est. €8,000 to €10,000, offered without reserve). The late Jacques Dayez was a prominent collector who was very enthusiastic and precise about the restoration and maintenance of his cars. The concours field was one of his favorite places, and he was passionate about every aspect of the events.