1936 Delahaye 135 CS – Classified of the Week
June 14, 2022
It’s easy to gauge what is deemed popular here at Car & Classic as it always elicits quite the discussion, and the amount of us that wade in to get involved in said conversation is a good indicator of how special the car in question is. One such example is this 1936 Delahaye 135 CS which caused a bit of a stir among the team. As we’re sure you will agree, it certainly is quite extraordinary.
Back when the French were producing excellent cars, (no, before the likes of the Peugeot 205 GTI and even before the Citroen SM – we’re talking pre-war here) a small, family-owned auto maker by the name of Delahaye developed and built a luxury car by the name of the 135 in 1935. The Type 135 range was unveiled at the Paris Auto Salon that year, with not only luxurious road cars announced, but also sportier competition versions available too.
Offered with a 3.2-litre OHV straight-six the engine was an evolution of a Delahaye truck engine and utilised dual carbs to produce around 95bhp. There was also a version that featured triple Solex carburettors that pushed out an additional 15 horsepower. The race-oriented 135, known as the Compétition Spéciale, was fitted with a larger displacement six-cylinder motor of 3,557cc, along with a light aluminium body sitting atop a shorter and more squat chassis with independent front suspension and a live rear axle completing the package.
Delahaye had been involved in racing from the off, way back when the company began in the late 1800s. Unfortunately, after founder Émile passed away in 1905 the company, under new ops manager Charles Weiffenbach, ceased its racing aspirations, instead focussing its efforts on more practical vehicles. Thankfully Delehaye returned to racing in the early ’30s after establishing a dedicated racing department in 1932 and subsequently produced such machines as the 135 CS we have available here.
This particular 1936 Delahaye 135 CS has an incredibly interesting period and racing history. An original competition car and a true survivor in every sense of the word it was originally ordered new by Jacques Menier of the famous Menier chocolatiers. Menier was sponsoring his own racing team at the time and immediately thrust the car into competition. Driven by Philippe Maillard-Brune the 135 CS appeared in a plethora of French races, including the GP de l’Automobile Club de France, the GP de la Marne, and the 3 Heures de Marseille. Unfortunately the car didn’t race at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans in that first year due to the event being cancelled and soon after the car was sold on.
Acquired by racing driver René Cotton the car continued to be heavily featured in high profile races in the post-war period. Remarkably, and testament to just how good of a car it was, Cotton piloted the 135 to eighth place in the 1952 Monaco Grand Prix amongst much younger and more capable opposition.
After retiring from racing the Delehaye was displayed for over thirty years in the French museum of Serge Pozzoli, later finding its way to various eminent collectors, whereby the car underwent some restoration work. Perusing the pictures on the advert it’s clear to see that the car remains in excellent condition. The original competition coachwork is beautifully preserved but don’t let that fool you into thinking this is a mere show pony. Oh no. There’s plenty of fight left in the old girl yet and the car is eligible for some of the world’s best historic racing events. You could race this car tomorrow and all current FIVA ID and HTP papers are included.
It’s an incredibly rare, no nonsense, race-prepped example that has recently appeared in the 2020 and 2021 Mille Miglia, as well as the 2021 Goodwood Revival. This is a visually stunning, well preserved, accomplished and capable inter-war French sports car that is ready to successfully – albeit rather dichotomously – continue its rich vein of motorsport heritage well into the future.
