Pick Of The Day: 1946 Delahaye 135 M Cabriolet By Figoni Et Falaschi

There is something special about coach-built French cars. Cars in this category tend to be among the most flamboyant in the world, with dramatic designs that frequently earn them top honors at concours events around the globe. The coachbuilder most famous for its dramatic impact has to be Figoni et Falaschi. Our Pick of the Day is a great example of the extravagance found in these amazing cars. This 1946 Delahaye 135 M cabriolet with coachwork by Figoni et Falaschi is listed on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in St. Louis.

According to the seller, chassis no. 800443 is a highly desirable, high-performance Type 135 M, bodied in an El Glaoui-style cabriolet body bearing build no. 1009. This unique car was one of three milestone designs displayed on the Figoni et Falaschi stand at the 1946 Paris Auto Salon, the first edition of the show held since the outbreak of World War II in 1939. The show was indeed a glorious comeback for both Delahaye and Figoni. On the coachbuilder’s stand sat three striking designs, all underpinned by the superb Type 135.

With its traditional cabriolet top and voluptuous fenders, it is believed that 800443 is an early prototype for the El Glaoui series, or it at least heavily influenced subsequent cars. It indeed shares many characteristics, particularly in profile, but this car is otherwise unique and is said to be a one-off design. While most El Glaoui cars wear bullet or faired-in headlamps, 800443 features dramatic, low-set lamps, fully integrated into the front apron, with distinctive art-deco-inspired chrome trim flanking the grille. The body adornment is otherwise restrained, aside from flashes of chrome along the bonnet, belt line, and lower fenders. Particularly with its fluted wheel discs in place, it is a perfect example of the art-deco design era.

There is a tremendous amount of historical information on this car, which can be key when it is being shown at a concours, where the provenance can make the difference between winning Best of Class or finishing second. The seller states that following chassis 800443’s premiere in Paris, it was delivered to its first private owner, a Mr. de la Fregonniere, on December 17, 1946. Its early history then gets a little lost until it somehow ended up abandoned on a New York pier. Delahaye experts speculate it was likely acquired by a U.S. serviceman who shipped it home for free (a useful military perk at the time), but perhaps forgot he’d be on the hook for some rather stiff import duties. In a bit of a miracle, one of the Santini brothers (of the shipping firm Seven Santini Bros. Inc.) discovered the abandoned Delahaye, recognized its importance, and stashed it in one of their warehouses.

In 1956, it was acquired by a Pennsylvania dealer for the price of back storage fees, who then sold it to Dana Reed, a Pennsylvania-based enthusiast who had been on the lookout for a sporty French car. Reed used the Delahaye as his daily driver for seven years before taking it off the road. In the early 1980s, he enlisted Hibernia Auto Restorations in New Jersey to perform a full restoration and, after a three-year restoration, the car was shown extensively, taking numerous awards along the way. Finally, after 49 years of careful stewardship, Reed sold the car in 2005 to its current custodian.

This dramatic and wonderful 1946 Figoni et Falaschi Delahaye has been part of a private collection for the past 20 years, where it has been maintained in lovely condition, with its older restoration very well-preserved. It would be welcome at any concours I can think of and would likely be a winner wherever it is shown. In addition, this car is very much a GT car of its era, both fun to drive and offering great performance. It would be enjoyable to daydream about driving this Delahaye on a vintage rally like the California Mille or Colorado Grand. The asking price of $550,000 is very fair for a car that has this kind of impact on a concours field — especially when you consider it is less than the restoration cost.

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