1915 Delage Type BK Tourer Known as D6 tourer

1915 Delage Type BK Tourer Known as D6 tourer

'Louis Delage created an important part of the tradition and heritage of the automotive golden age in France. Delage cars have all that is meant by 'La belle voiture française', together with Bugattis, Hispano-Suiza and, later, Talbot-Lago, which inspired France's coachbuilders to produce moving works of art.' William Stobbs, Les Grandes Routières - France's Classic Grand Tourers.

Founded in 1905 by Louis Delage in collaboration with Augustin Legros, a fellow engineer-graduate of an Arts et Métiers college, Automobiles Delage commenced production with a single-cylinder De Dion-engined runabout and within a few years was offering multi-cylinder designs. The publicity value of racing was recognised right from the start, a single-cylinder Delage winning the Coupe Des Voiturettes as early as 1908 and Louis himself taking the 1911 Coupe de l'Auto in a 3-litre four-cylinder. Victories at the Grand Prix du Mans and the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race were achieved prior to WWI, the company going on to become a major force in Grand Prix racing in the 1920s and setting a new World Land Speed Record mark in 1924 with a 10.7-litre overhead-valve V12. Delage's publicity had every right to sing the praises of what - arguably - was the finest French car of its day: 'Delage have to their credit many world's records, including a world's championship, and more awards at the principal Concours d'Elegance than any other car in the world... To these achievements Delage have added a third and greater. They have made the highest known degree of luxury and performance available at the price the average motorist can pay.'

This particular D6 was built by Jean Marie Prince, a prominent Delage collector from Bordeaux, France using parts from more than one Delage model. It has the correct type of engine (BK) and carries tourer coachwork of a very rare style by Labourdette. and this two-wheel luggage trailer came with a car at that time.

Descriptions and pictures by bonhams