1946 Delahaye 135M Cabriolet

Based initially at Tours and from 1906 in Paris, Delahaye built its first automobile in 1898 and soon diversified into commercial vehicle manufacture. Its early products tended to be rather lacklustre, but then in 1933 came the first of a new generation that would change the marque's image: the T138 Super Luxe. A fine sporting car, the T135 was powered by a 3.2-litre, six-cylinder, overhead-valve engine producing 110bhp on triple Solex carburettors, while the chassis featured transverse-leaf independent front suspension, four-speed synchromesh or Cotal gearboxes, centre-lock wire wheels and Bendix brakes.

Delahaye improved on the formula the following year with the 3.6-litre, 120/130bhp T135MS, and the sports version was soon making a name for itself in competitions, winning the Monte Carlo Rally and Le Mans 24-Hour Race outright in 1937 and 1938 respectively. The model reappeared post-WW2 as the 135M with the 3.6-litre engine and lasted in production until 1951. Delahaye had no in-house coachworks, so all its chassis were bodied by independents who created some of their most attractive designs on the Type 135.

Following WW2, the concours-winning firm of Pennock, located in The Hague, Holland acquired several chassis from Delahaye, on one of which they created the outstanding three-position cabriolet offered here. Right-hand drive, like most French cars of quality at that time, the Delahaye was purchased from Pennock by a prominent local family and is believed always to have been registered in Holland.

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