Bruce Male, 2012 Best In Show winner, returns his 1984 Delahaye 135 M Figoni et Falaschi Cabriolet to the Misselwood property in preparation for the 2013 Concours d’Elegance.
Bruce Male’s 1948 Delahaye 135 M Figoni et Falaschi Cabriolet made its appearance at the 2012 Misselwood Concours d’Elegance, where it took the Ervin ‘Bud’ Lyon III Best of Show Award, named after the North Shore car collector and automotive entrepreneur who passed away early 2012. At auction, this car could probably feature between $200,000 and $300,000.
Delahaye, the automobile manufacturing company which was started by Emile Delahaye, has a history that goes back as far as 1845 and started out producing machinery for brick manufacturing and later stationary engines for industrial purposes that led to automobile production in 1894. Most of the cars produced were nondescript, but dependable. In 1935, Delahaye purchased Delage, a company known for turning out sports and Grand Prix cars, and that changed the direction of Delahaye. The Type 135 debuted in 1935 with in-line, six-cylinder, 3.2-liter engine equipped with triple Solex carburetors producing 113 horsepower. By 1945, the Delahaye was sold mostly in chassis-only form and many beautiful bodies were created by carrosserie including Chapron, Guillore, Saoutchik and one of those leaders of French design, Joseph Figoni.
The Type 135 is considered as one of the most famous and prestigious vehicles produced by Delahaye. In both design and racing competition, it was very successful. Designed in 1934 it was quickly entered into races such as the 24 Heures du Mans, the Monte-Carlo Rally, and the Paris-Saint-Raphael motor race, where it had great successes at being a competitive and reliable automobile.