1931 Delage D8 C Convertible Milord

1931 Delage D8 C Convertible Milord by Carrosserie Figoni

Founded in 1905 by Louis Delage, the company had 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 Paul Bablot taking the 1911 Coupe de l'Auto in a 3.0-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 V12.

Four-cylinder DI and six-cylinder DM models formed the mainstay of touring car production in the 1920s, and then at the 1929 Paris Salon Delage launched the Maurice Gaultier-designed D8. A magnificent 4.0-litre overhead-valve straight eight featuring an X-braced chassis and servo-assisted braking, the D8 was destined to attract the creative attentions of Europe's finest coachbuilders, while the equally impressive list of D8 owners included King Gustav V of Sweden, King Alexander of Yugoslavia, and Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia as well as leading businessmen, politicians, and film stars of the day.

One of 458 short-chassis models produced between 1929 and 1933, this magnificent Delage D8C carries a three-position drophead coupé body by the celebrated French coachbuilder Figoni. Although the body carries no Figoni plaque, this car is in the Figoni production record and the design conforms, as such it would have been built in the Figoni works in Boulogne Billancourt.

Descriptions & picture by bonhams & flickr