Of all the pre-war French racers, few are as well regarded as the Delahaye 135 S. Just 20 of these lightened and shortened speed machines were ever built, each doing battle at the very pinnacle of Grand Prix and sports-car racing. Of that small cohort, the penultimate example — chassis 47188 — is arguably the most special, being one of two built at the end of production specifically for the Works team.
Chassis 47188’s brief-yet-bright Works career began on May 24, 1936, when legendary French driver Albert Divo narrowly missed out on a podium finish at the Trois Heures de Marseille. A month later he finished 12th at the Grand Prix de l’A.C.F., then 6th at the Grand Prix de la Marne in Reims.
Following Reims, the Delahaye crossed the Channel via London importer Count Heyden, and was assigned the registration number it wears today, “DUV 870”. Still at the cutting edge of race technology, the car was quickly snapped up by Tommy Clarke, who raced it in the 1936 RAC Tourist Trophy and the Donington Grand Prix before selling to the Siamese Prince Chula for his White Mouse Stable, to be driven by his famous cousin, Prince Bira.
Chassis 47188 was reacquired by Count Heyden, who loaned it throughout the 1938 season for appearances at Cork, Brooklands, Antwerp and Crystal Palace. With its work done, the Delahaye was put up for sale. There, it caught the eye of a young Cambridge student and heir to the Johnnie Walker whisky fortune, Rob Walker. Walker put the Delahaye to work immediately, coming 3rd at Brooklands’ Second Easter Mountain Handicap before loaning it to Prince Bira in May for a victorious run at Crystal Palace.
At the end of the 1952 season, Walker sold the car to Dan Margulies. When the Delahaye was auctioned by Sotheby’s in 1970, Walker placed a winning bid of £5,000. Bought unseen, the Delahaye arrived in a sorry state, so Walker commissioned John Chisman to fabricate a new body.
(Introductory description courtesy of RM Sotheby’s.)
