View allAll Photos Tagged Mecum
.... my portable memory or 'extra eyes'
For the Macro Monday challenge "everyday carry" or EDC (15th November 2021)
I've never really thought about it, or tried to name it - but I take a small notebook everywhere with me. The exact size and shape has varied over the years, but I've settled on an Art sketch Album (14x9cm) so I can sketch, draw or write. Especially useful with my phone camera when I'm out walking. I've always got one in my jacket pocket or shoulder bag, along with pencil and/or pen, and there's a growing collection of filled ones that I think of as my 'ideas store'.
This shot fills the 3" frame, and I added a leaf, as occasionally I press a leaf in the pages (if it is small enough).
When this topic came up I looked it up online, and the idea of the Vade Mecum goes back as far as the Romans and is defined as "something a person carries about for frequent or regular use".
HMM!! and have a lovely week ahead!
My 2021 MM set: Here
Everyday Things : Here
and previous years of the Macro Mondays challenge:
My 2020 set: Here
My 2019 set: Here
My 2018 set: Here
My 2017 set: Here
My 2016 set: Here
My 2015 set: Here
My 2014 set: Here
My 2013 set: Here
Mecum Auction
Bob Mc Dorman Chevrolet
Canal Winchester, Ohio.
Fairfield and Franklin Counties, USA
September 10-11, 2009
Exact year unknown.
Got to experience my first Mecum auction and loved it. Got to do a little photoshoot with this Camaro SS 350.
Kissimmee, Florida - 01/25/13
1947 Kaiser 4-door sedan with 12,721 original miles! She sold for $12,000, so I guess you can figure out the math. I liked the two old timers in the windshield that were pointing back to the Kaiser; perhaps they were remembering...perhaps not... These old cars have so much mystery in their histories; you can feel the presence of the past when you stick your head in the door and take in the sights and smells of their interiors. Made me remember, too...just a little...
Playing with desaturation too much on this one. I like the car though. This was taken at the Mecum Auction in Seattle 2015.
The story of the 1931 Miller V16 race car actually begins with a 1930 Cord Brougham Sedan given to Harry Miller by the Auburn Automobile Company as partial payment for Miller’s development work on the new front wheel drive Cord. The mercurial Miller, already famous for his innovative engines and four Indianapolis 500 wins, found the Cord’s anemic Lycoming straight-eight a disappointment, and resolved to revitalize the car with a completely new V-16 of his own design.
Starting with a clean sheet of paper, Miller designed his powerplant with a barrel-type aluminum crankcase and four cylinder blocks with integral heads, each with four cylinders. Dual overheard camshafts actuated 2 valves per cylinder, which featured a respective bore and stroke of 2.65 and 3.4 inches. Eight newly-designed Miller-Adamson carburetors flowed into siamesed downdraft intake ports in each cylinder block, feeding two cylinders each.
Nearing completion, the engine and associated new drivetrain were moved with the rest of the Miller shop to a new location in Gramercy Park in mid-January 1931 when, in typical fashion, Miller suddenly decided to abandon the project and turn back to the racing side of the business, building three new long-wheelbase chassis to conform with the AAA rules drafted the previous year. Miller adapted his 1924 front-drive DeDion suspension design to the front and rear of the new car, with dual parallel quarter elliptic springs all around and an aluminum differential spinning swing axles at the rear. All three cars were originally to be powered by 230.9 CI V-8 engines of the type that had won the 1930 500-mile race, but sometime during their construction, one of the buyers, Hollywood money man William S. White, convinced Miller to install the new V16 in his racer.
Shorty Cantlon, who had finished fourth at Indy in 1930, piloted the car, with Duke Smale as his riding mechanic. Starting from 26th place, Cantlon powered to 4th by lap 10 and got as high as third before carburetion problems forced him to pit and replace all sixteen spark plugs. A broken connecting rod finally put them out on lap 88, and they were scored in 27th place.
Cantlon suffered serious injuries before the 1932 Indianapolis 500, prompting White to hire “The Midwest Cyclone,” Sprint driver Brian Saulpaugh. Saulpaugh and riding mechanic Steve Gregory qualified on the outside of the front row for the 500 at a strong 114.369 mph. Saulpaugh kept the car in 3rd by lap 10 but on lap 55 an oil line broke, forcing their retirement.
White then sold the car to Harry Hartz, who removed the V16, shortened the wheelbase to 100 inches and installed a 220 cubic inch Miller 4 cylinder engine. Hartz entered the car with driver Saulpaugh in a September 100-miler in Detroit, where Saulpaugh finished 6th. In a November 150 mile race at Oakland, Hartz hired Lester Spangler, who crashed the car on the 10th lap. Hartz brought Spangler, an Indy rookie, to the Brickyard in 1933, where the rising young star gave a creditable performance in qualifying 7th with a speed of 116.903mph. Tragedy marred the effort, however, when both Spangler and riding mechanic G.L. George were killed upon impact with the southwest wall.
Earl Haskell then bought the car from Hartz, skipping the 1934 Indianapolis 500. Rex Mays raced it later that season to a 10th place at Mines Field CA. In 1935, Haskell put Floyd Roberts and riding mechanic Carl Parenti in the car for the 500. In its best overall performance at Indianapolis, it qualified third, stayed in the top ten throughout most of the race, and finished a very respectable forth.
In 1936 rookie driver Ray Pixley and riding mechanic Bob Flory took the car from 25th spot to a 6th place finish for new owner Clarence Felker.
Joel Thorn purchased the car in 1937, when it qualified 17th and finished 13th in its final competitive outing at the Speedway. It returned post war in 1947 with flathead Ford power and again in 1950 with a Maserati engine and a new single-seat body, but failed to qualify on both occasions, having finally reached terminal obsolescence. Twenty three years would pass before Harry Miller’s V16 racer would begin its almost impossibly improbable journey to resurrection.
In 1973, collector Bob McConnell discovered the Miller, minus its V16 engine, in the small wood garage in Indianapolis that had housed it since 1950. McConnell’s research soon confirmed it was the sister car to the Hepburn-Shaw-Myer car he also owned, and he was soon persuaded by Chuck Davis of Chicago to sell him the old machine. Davis and noted restorer Dave Hentschel began the painstaking process of dismantling and cataloging the car in its entirety, and were elated to eventually confirm its provenance and history as the one and only V16 Miller race car.
Luck intervened then in the form of racecar historian Jim Etter, who had discovered what he thought was a Miller V-8 engine but soon realized was one half of the original V16, which had been cut in two to make a Sprint car engine. Etter was astounded to find that not only had almost all the severed components been saved, but a new spare crankshaft and webbings were also there for the taking. Etter bought the whole inventory and resold it to Speedway Motors owner and vintage racing engine collector Bill Smith. Ever the dealmaker, Chuck Davis eventually managed to buy the entire lot from Smith, who was notorious for resisting any and all efforts to part with even the most insignificant items in his vast inventory
The restoration of Harry Miller’s V16 racer was finally underway.
Chuck Davis had discovered that foundry expert George Parker of Monrovia, CA possessed a large group of Miller’s original wood foundry patterns and drawings, including those for the V16’s crank case, cam boxes and covers. Parker loaned the patterns to Davis, who sent them to patternmaker Art Bergstrom of Beecher, IL for reconditioning, after which they were used to pour new castings. The Bridgeview Machine Company performed the finishing work, while Dave Hentschel machined other new parts using the original Miller drawings. The completed components were then sent to Joe Gemsa of El Monte, CA, who assembled them into the brand new Miller V16.
The last hurdle in the engine project was the carburetors, which had long disappeared. Fortune smiled on Davis once again when he located a single example in the possession of the I.M.S. Museum’s Bill Spoerle. Davis had a set of eight reproduced from that single original, enabling the engine to be fired up for the first time in decades; it started and ran almost flawlessly. With Davis’ discovery of a correct transmission and clutch assembly in Jim Brucker’s warehouse in Santa Paula, CA, the car’s driveline was complete.
There was more good news for Davis. When the car was rebodied prior to the 1950 race, the chassis was only slightly modified to narrow it to single-seat form, making it relatively simple to reconfigure to its original layout. New suspension pieces were cast in bronze and machined according to the original plans, and new quarter elliptical springs were fabricated at Hollywood Spring.
The body panels represent yet another serendipitous chapter in the Miller V16 story. They were purchased in the 1950s by Louisville saloon owner Jack Richmond, who planned to use them in building a hot rod. Richmond never realized that particular ambition and the panels remained untouched and intact until the ever-fortunate Davis got word of their existence, tracked them to a Cincinnati collector, bought them and trucked them back to Chicago. All the pieces were there: the radiator shell, hood, cowl former and cowl panel, tail, gas tank, belly pan and rear axle tray. When Dave Hentschel affixed them to the chassis, they proved a perfect fit.
Junior Dreyer massaged the body panels back to proper form, after which Hentschel skillfully reapplied its Silver and Black 1932 livery. Dreyer also made a new gas tank and repaired the oil cooling tubes that also served a cosmetic function as the grill bars, one of the last items checked off, and not a moment too soon: the car’s astonishing journey from revolutionary race car to dismembered, scattered hulk to glorious, historical showpiece was literally completed with no time left on the clock before its reintroduction to the world at the 1993 Monterey Historic Races, where Harry Miller’s cars were honored for the very first time as the event’s annual theme. Since that auspicious occasion, the V16 Miller has attended every Milwaukee club affair, and has appeared at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Pebble Beach and Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. In 1994 it also earned AACA certification in competition vehicle class 24A and First Junior and First Senior awards.
Only Harry Miller’s creativity and vision could have conceived of such a fascinating machine, and only his dedication to excellence could have brought it to such grand fruition. Its resurrection by Chuck Davis, Dave Hentschel and myriad other characters and talents, certainly one of the most highly anticipated offerings in recent memory.
Next Stop, Mecum Auctions. Their catalog did not list estimates. They did not list sold prices online.
1936 Delahaye Type 135 Competition Court Teardrop Coupe
NO SALE
Engine 3557CC
Trans 4-Speed
Color Black
Interior Red
HIGHLIGHTS
o Coachwork by Figoni et Falaschi
o Right-hand drive Lightweight “Goutte D'Eau” style coupe with sunroof
o The only 1936 Delahaye Type 135 with headlamps integrated in between the front fenders
o One of an estimated 30 Competition Court models built from 1935-37
o The last of six short-wheelbase coupes built by Figoni et Falaschi in 1936 and one of three surviving examples today
o The Competition Court was the ultimate Type 135 and only available as a homologation special to a very select group of loyal Delahaye customers. The Competition Court chassis option did not appear in any Delahaye literature and was sold as a bare chassis to be sent to a coachbuilder for a custom-built lightweight body
o Chassis No. 47242 was fitted with special competition components including a 4-speed manual transmission, outside-mounted rear springs, a low-mounted engine, oil cooler mounted below the radiator and racing-style fuel tank with dual fillers
o Delivered new to the Delahaye factory and retained as a demonstrator
o Body No. 609 is unique from the other five examples with a slightly different bonnet and a single row of hood louvers
Steel body with aluminum bonnet, boot, fenders, doors and bumpers
o 106-inch wheelbase
o 3,557cc inline six-cylinder engine
o 4-speed manual competition transmission
o Chrome knock-off wire wheels
o Class Award at the 2001 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
o Best of Show at the 2003 Celebration of Automobiles at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
o Best of Show at the 2003 Concours d'Elegance of Texas
o Best of Show and People's Choice at the 2014 Cobble Beach Concours d'Elegance in Ontario
o Displayed in the “Art in Automobiles” exhibit at the 2015 Canadian International Auto show in Toronto
The Delahaye Type 135 coachwork by Figoni et Falaschi launched a series of automotive design masterpieces from the revitalized carrossier, the most prized of which remains the 1936 “Compétition Court” Teardrop Coupe, Chassis No. 47242 and Body No. 609. This is the definitive expression of Giuseppe Figoni’s singular vision, a virtually organic blend of “Goutte D’Eau“ (Teardrop) contours unrivaled in its elegance, every detail fashioned, finished and placed with artistic finesse, a perfect arrangement of notes forming an exquisite composition.
The last of six specially commissioned coupes completed by Figoni in 1936, Chassis No. 47242 is recorded in the Figoni company register, which notes the completed coupe was delivered to the Delahaye factory, suggesting it was exhibited in concours d'elegance or retained as a factory demonstrator. The Compétition Court chassis was one of Delahaye’s most exclusive offerings with only 30 estimated to have been built. It was a homologation special not listed in the company literature and offered through private arrangement only to “special friends” of the company in bare-chassis form to be fitted with lightweight custom coupe or roadster coachwork by the customer’s carrossier of choice.
It was essentially a road-going Grand Prix-specification chassis on the shorter 106-inch wheelbase, described in the definitive history “Delahaye: Le Grand Livre” as having “a cocktail of parts from the series three Type 135 chassis and the Specials,” with additional specially made components. Its racing-purposed features included the powerful and reliable 3.5L competition-spec inline-6 engine—mounted low in the chassis to lower the center of gravity—a remote oil cooler mounted below the radiator, outside-mounted rear springs, a competition fuel tank with dual fillers and a rare competition-spec 4-speed manual transmission.
This car’s body, No. 609, is unique among the six Figoni-bodied coupes, with its distinctive bonnet flanked by Marchal headlights faired into the inner front wings, a signature feature of future Figoni designs. Fashioned in steel with an aluminum bonnet, boot, fenders, doors and bumpers, its streamlined teardrop fender shapes are emphasized by accents flowing back from the bonnet’s leading edge, down across the doors and then scribing the rear fender arches. Thin chrome strips delicately accent the fender peaks, their contours repeated in small chrome accents on the rear fender skirts, and a central tail fin contoured to match those on the rear fenders divides the split rear window.
Like many French treasures, the car was hidden from occupying forces during World War II, resurfacing in the early 1950s in the possession of Jean-Pierre Bernard, then sales manager for Delahaye and eventual founder and president of Club Delahaye. Its history shows that it passed through several owners in France before being sold to an Italian buyer around the end of the 1950s. Some four decades passed before it again re-emerged in the late 1990s, this time with a garage owner in Brescia who sold it to its next owner in Geneva, Switzerland. It was remarkably complete; while the opening for the sunroof had been closed, the operating mechanism remained intact, and the chassis plate showing No. 47242 was in its correct location on the firewall.
The car was then imported into the United States, where it was restored for concours d’elegance judging. After its postwar discovery, the car had been fitted with a newer engine, so, in keeping with the strict standards of its restoration, the search began for an extremely rare Competition-spec 3.5L engine. Interestingly, the replacement—featuring the unique triple Solex carburetors and correct date-code stamping—was found not far from where the car was located for decades near Brescia.
While the car’s mechanical systems were being rebuilt, the wood framework was refurbished to Figoni et Falaschi’s exacting standards, and the body was refinished in its magnificent black paint and rich chromed trim. The gorgeous interior is likewise worthy of the Figoni et Falaschi legacy, a luxurious mixture of supple red leather upholstery with quill ostrich inserts, hand-sculpted and mirror-polished wood trim, an elegant engine-turned dash panel and blue-faced gauges and tachometer.
The masterful restoration of this exceptional automobile was rewarded with a First in Class upon its public unveiling at the 2001 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Amazingly, in 2003, in the space of less than one week, it earned Best of Show awards at the Celebration of Automobiles at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Concours d’Elegance of Texas. Lovingly maintained in concours-winning presentation, it also earned Best of Show and People’s Choice at the 2014 Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Kemble, Ontario, and it was honored with an invitation to the “Art in Automobiles” exhibit at the 2015 Canadian International Auto show in Toronto.
A superlative machine built with great care and precision and restored to its original splendor, this 1936 Delahaye Type 135 “Competition Court” Teardrop Coupe is one of Giuseppe Figoni’s finest creations, a genuine masterpiece born of race-proven engineering coupled with the peerless vision of a master of the art of coachbuilding.
- - -
Had a blast with my auto-enthusiast friend and neighbor, Fred, at Monterey Car Week 2021.
Next Stop, Mecum Auctions. Their catalog did not list estimates. They did not list sold prices online.
1936 Delahaye Type 135 Competition Court Teardrop Coupe
NO SALE
Engine 3557CC
Trans 4-Speed
Color Black
Interior Red
HIGHLIGHTS
o Coachwork by Figoni et Falaschi
o Right-hand drive Lightweight “Goutte D'Eau” style coupe with sunroof
o The only 1936 Delahaye Type 135 with headlamps integrated in between the front fenders
o One of an estimated 30 Competition Court models built from 1935-37
o The last of six short-wheelbase coupes built by Figoni et Falaschi in 1936 and one of three surviving examples today
o The Competition Court was the ultimate Type 135 and only available as a homologation special to a very select group of loyal Delahaye customers. The Competition Court chassis option did not appear in any Delahaye literature and was sold as a bare chassis to be sent to a coachbuilder for a custom-built lightweight body
o Chassis No. 47242 was fitted with special competition components including a 4-speed manual transmission, outside-mounted rear springs, a low-mounted engine, oil cooler mounted below the radiator and racing-style fuel tank with dual fillers
o Delivered new to the Delahaye factory and retained as a demonstrator
o Body No. 609 is unique from the other five examples with a slightly different bonnet and a single row of hood louvers
Steel body with aluminum bonnet, boot, fenders, doors and bumpers
o 106-inch wheelbase
o 3,557cc inline six-cylinder engine
o 4-speed manual competition transmission
o Chrome knock-off wire wheels
o Class Award at the 2001 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
o Best of Show at the 2003 Celebration of Automobiles at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
o Best of Show at the 2003 Concours d'Elegance of Texas
o Best of Show and People's Choice at the 2014 Cobble Beach Concours d'Elegance in Ontario
o Displayed in the “Art in Automobiles” exhibit at the 2015 Canadian International Auto show in Toronto
The Delahaye Type 135 coachwork by Figoni et Falaschi launched a series of automotive design masterpieces from the revitalized carrossier, the most prized of which remains the 1936 “Compétition Court” Teardrop Coupe, Chassis No. 47242 and Body No. 609. This is the definitive expression of Giuseppe Figoni’s singular vision, a virtually organic blend of “Goutte D’Eau“ (Teardrop) contours unrivaled in its elegance, every detail fashioned, finished and placed with artistic finesse, a perfect arrangement of notes forming an exquisite composition.
The last of six specially commissioned coupes completed by Figoni in 1936, Chassis No. 47242 is recorded in the Figoni company register, which notes the completed coupe was delivered to the Delahaye factory, suggesting it was exhibited in concours d'elegance or retained as a factory demonstrator. The Compétition Court chassis was one of Delahaye’s most exclusive offerings with only 30 estimated to have been built. It was a homologation special not listed in the company literature and offered through private arrangement only to “special friends” of the company in bare-chassis form to be fitted with lightweight custom coupe or roadster coachwork by the customer’s carrossier of choice.
It was essentially a road-going Grand Prix-specification chassis on the shorter 106-inch wheelbase, described in the definitive history “Delahaye: Le Grand Livre” as having “a cocktail of parts from the series three Type 135 chassis and the Specials,” with additional specially made components. Its racing-purposed features included the powerful and reliable 3.5L competition-spec inline-6 engine—mounted low in the chassis to lower the center of gravity—a remote oil cooler mounted below the radiator, outside-mounted rear springs, a competition fuel tank with dual fillers and a rare competition-spec 4-speed manual transmission.
This car’s body, No. 609, is unique among the six Figoni-bodied coupes, with its distinctive bonnet flanked by Marchal headlights faired into the inner front wings, a signature feature of future Figoni designs. Fashioned in steel with an aluminum bonnet, boot, fenders, doors and bumpers, its streamlined teardrop fender shapes are emphasized by accents flowing back from the bonnet’s leading edge, down across the doors and then scribing the rear fender arches. Thin chrome strips delicately accent the fender peaks, their contours repeated in small chrome accents on the rear fender skirts, and a central tail fin contoured to match those on the rear fenders divides the split rear window.
Like many French treasures, the car was hidden from occupying forces during World War II, resurfacing in the early 1950s in the possession of Jean-Pierre Bernard, then sales manager for Delahaye and eventual founder and president of Club Delahaye. Its history shows that it passed through several owners in France before being sold to an Italian buyer around the end of the 1950s. Some four decades passed before it again re-emerged in the late 1990s, this time with a garage owner in Brescia who sold it to its next owner in Geneva, Switzerland. It was remarkably complete; while the opening for the sunroof had been closed, the operating mechanism remained intact, and the chassis plate showing No. 47242 was in its correct location on the firewall.
The car was then imported into the United States, where it was restored for concours d’elegance judging. After its postwar discovery, the car had been fitted with a newer engine, so, in keeping with the strict standards of its restoration, the search began for an extremely rare Competition-spec 3.5L engine. Interestingly, the replacement—featuring the unique triple Solex carburetors and correct date-code stamping—was found not far from where the car was located for decades near Brescia.
While the car’s mechanical systems were being rebuilt, the wood framework was refurbished to Figoni et Falaschi’s exacting standards, and the body was refinished in its magnificent black paint and rich chromed trim. The gorgeous interior is likewise worthy of the Figoni et Falaschi legacy, a luxurious mixture of supple red leather upholstery with quill ostrich inserts, hand-sculpted and mirror-polished wood trim, an elegant engine-turned dash panel and blue-faced gauges and tachometer.
The masterful restoration of this exceptional automobile was rewarded with a First in Class upon its public unveiling at the 2001 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Amazingly, in 2003, in the space of less than one week, it earned Best of Show awards at the Celebration of Automobiles at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Concours d’Elegance of Texas. Lovingly maintained in concours-winning presentation, it also earned Best of Show and People’s Choice at the 2014 Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Kemble, Ontario, and it was honored with an invitation to the “Art in Automobiles” exhibit at the 2015 Canadian International Auto show in Toronto.
A superlative machine built with great care and precision and restored to its original splendor, this 1936 Delahaye Type 135 “Competition Court” Teardrop Coupe is one of Giuseppe Figoni’s finest creations, a genuine masterpiece born of race-proven engineering coupled with the peerless vision of a master of the art of coachbuilding.
- - -
Had a blast with my auto-enthusiast friend and neighbor, Fred, at Monterey Car Week 2021.
Next Stop, Mecum Auctions. Their catalog did not list estimates. They did not list sold prices online.
1936 Delahaye Type 135 Competition Court Teardrop Coupe
NO SALE
Engine 3557CC
Trans 4-Speed
Color Black
Interior Red
HIGHLIGHTS
o Coachwork by Figoni et Falaschi
o Right-hand drive Lightweight “Goutte D'Eau” style coupe with sunroof
o The only 1936 Delahaye Type 135 with headlamps integrated in between the front fenders
o One of an estimated 30 Competition Court models built from 1935-37
o The last of six short-wheelbase coupes built by Figoni et Falaschi in 1936 and one of three surviving examples today
o The Competition Court was the ultimate Type 135 and only available as a homologation special to a very select group of loyal Delahaye customers. The Competition Court chassis option did not appear in any Delahaye literature and was sold as a bare chassis to be sent to a coachbuilder for a custom-built lightweight body
o Chassis No. 47242 was fitted with special competition components including a 4-speed manual transmission, outside-mounted rear springs, a low-mounted engine, oil cooler mounted below the radiator and racing-style fuel tank with dual fillers
o Delivered new to the Delahaye factory and retained as a demonstrator
o Body No. 609 is unique from the other five examples with a slightly different bonnet and a single row of hood louvers
Steel body with aluminum bonnet, boot, fenders, doors and bumpers
o 106-inch wheelbase
o 3,557cc inline six-cylinder engine
o 4-speed manual competition transmission
o Chrome knock-off wire wheels
o Class Award at the 2001 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
o Best of Show at the 2003 Celebration of Automobiles at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
o Best of Show at the 2003 Concours d'Elegance of Texas
o Best of Show and People's Choice at the 2014 Cobble Beach Concours d'Elegance in Ontario
o Displayed in the “Art in Automobiles” exhibit at the 2015 Canadian International Auto show in Toronto
The Delahaye Type 135 coachwork by Figoni et Falaschi launched a series of automotive design masterpieces from the revitalized carrossier, the most prized of which remains the 1936 “Compétition Court” Teardrop Coupe, Chassis No. 47242 and Body No. 609. This is the definitive expression of Giuseppe Figoni’s singular vision, a virtually organic blend of “Goutte D’Eau“ (Teardrop) contours unrivaled in its elegance, every detail fashioned, finished and placed with artistic finesse, a perfect arrangement of notes forming an exquisite composition.
The last of six specially commissioned coupes completed by Figoni in 1936, Chassis No. 47242 is recorded in the Figoni company register, which notes the completed coupe was delivered to the Delahaye factory, suggesting it was exhibited in concours d'elegance or retained as a factory demonstrator. The Compétition Court chassis was one of Delahaye’s most exclusive offerings with only 30 estimated to have been built. It was a homologation special not listed in the company literature and offered through private arrangement only to “special friends” of the company in bare-chassis form to be fitted with lightweight custom coupe or roadster coachwork by the customer’s carrossier of choice.
It was essentially a road-going Grand Prix-specification chassis on the shorter 106-inch wheelbase, described in the definitive history “Delahaye: Le Grand Livre” as having “a cocktail of parts from the series three Type 135 chassis and the Specials,” with additional specially made components. Its racing-purposed features included the powerful and reliable 3.5L competition-spec inline-6 engine—mounted low in the chassis to lower the center of gravity—a remote oil cooler mounted below the radiator, outside-mounted rear springs, a competition fuel tank with dual fillers and a rare competition-spec 4-speed manual transmission.
This car’s body, No. 609, is unique among the six Figoni-bodied coupes, with its distinctive bonnet flanked by Marchal headlights faired into the inner front wings, a signature feature of future Figoni designs. Fashioned in steel with an aluminum bonnet, boot, fenders, doors and bumpers, its streamlined teardrop fender shapes are emphasized by accents flowing back from the bonnet’s leading edge, down across the doors and then scribing the rear fender arches. Thin chrome strips delicately accent the fender peaks, their contours repeated in small chrome accents on the rear fender skirts, and a central tail fin contoured to match those on the rear fenders divides the split rear window.
Like many French treasures, the car was hidden from occupying forces during World War II, resurfacing in the early 1950s in the possession of Jean-Pierre Bernard, then sales manager for Delahaye and eventual founder and president of Club Delahaye. Its history shows that it passed through several owners in France before being sold to an Italian buyer around the end of the 1950s. Some four decades passed before it again re-emerged in the late 1990s, this time with a garage owner in Brescia who sold it to its next owner in Geneva, Switzerland. It was remarkably complete; while the opening for the sunroof had been closed, the operating mechanism remained intact, and the chassis plate showing No. 47242 was in its correct location on the firewall.
The car was then imported into the United States, where it was restored for concours d’elegance judging. After its postwar discovery, the car had been fitted with a newer engine, so, in keeping with the strict standards of its restoration, the search began for an extremely rare Competition-spec 3.5L engine. Interestingly, the replacement—featuring the unique triple Solex carburetors and correct date-code stamping—was found not far from where the car was located for decades near Brescia.
While the car’s mechanical systems were being rebuilt, the wood framework was refurbished to Figoni et Falaschi’s exacting standards, and the body was refinished in its magnificent black paint and rich chromed trim. The gorgeous interior is likewise worthy of the Figoni et Falaschi legacy, a luxurious mixture of supple red leather upholstery with quill ostrich inserts, hand-sculpted and mirror-polished wood trim, an elegant engine-turned dash panel and blue-faced gauges and tachometer.
The masterful restoration of this exceptional automobile was rewarded with a First in Class upon its public unveiling at the 2001 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Amazingly, in 2003, in the space of less than one week, it earned Best of Show awards at the Celebration of Automobiles at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Concours d’Elegance of Texas. Lovingly maintained in concours-winning presentation, it also earned Best of Show and People’s Choice at the 2014 Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Kemble, Ontario, and it was honored with an invitation to the “Art in Automobiles” exhibit at the 2015 Canadian International Auto show in Toronto.
A superlative machine built with great care and precision and restored to its original splendor, this 1936 Delahaye Type 135 “Competition Court” Teardrop Coupe is one of Giuseppe Figoni’s finest creations, a genuine masterpiece born of race-proven engineering coupled with the peerless vision of a master of the art of coachbuilding.
- - -
Had a blast with my auto-enthusiast friend and neighbor, Fred, at Monterey Car Week 2021.
Next Stop, Mecum Auctions. Their catalog did not list estimates. They did not list sold prices online.
1936 Delahaye Type 135 Competition Court Teardrop Coupe
NO SALE
Engine 3557CC
Trans 4-Speed
Color Black
Interior Red
HIGHLIGHTS
o Coachwork by Figoni et Falaschi
o Right-hand drive Lightweight “Goutte D'Eau” style coupe with sunroof
o The only 1936 Delahaye Type 135 with headlamps integrated in between the front fenders
o One of an estimated 30 Competition Court models built from 1935-37
o The last of six short-wheelbase coupes built by Figoni et Falaschi in 1936 and one of three surviving examples today
o The Competition Court was the ultimate Type 135 and only available as a homologation special to a very select group of loyal Delahaye customers. The Competition Court chassis option did not appear in any Delahaye literature and was sold as a bare chassis to be sent to a coachbuilder for a custom-built lightweight body
o Chassis No. 47242 was fitted with special competition components including a 4-speed manual transmission, outside-mounted rear springs, a low-mounted engine, oil cooler mounted below the radiator and racing-style fuel tank with dual fillers
o Delivered new to the Delahaye factory and retained as a demonstrator
o Body No. 609 is unique from the other five examples with a slightly different bonnet and a single row of hood louvers
Steel body with aluminum bonnet, boot, fenders, doors and bumpers
o 106-inch wheelbase
o 3,557cc inline six-cylinder engine
o 4-speed manual competition transmission
o Chrome knock-off wire wheels
o Class Award at the 2001 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
o Best of Show at the 2003 Celebration of Automobiles at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
o Best of Show at the 2003 Concours d'Elegance of Texas
o Best of Show and People's Choice at the 2014 Cobble Beach Concours d'Elegance in Ontario
o Displayed in the “Art in Automobiles” exhibit at the 2015 Canadian International Auto show in Toronto
The Delahaye Type 135 coachwork by Figoni et Falaschi launched a series of automotive design masterpieces from the revitalized carrossier, the most prized of which remains the 1936 “Compétition Court” Teardrop Coupe, Chassis No. 47242 and Body No. 609. This is the definitive expression of Giuseppe Figoni’s singular vision, a virtually organic blend of “Goutte D’Eau“ (Teardrop) contours unrivaled in its elegance, every detail fashioned, finished and placed with artistic finesse, a perfect arrangement of notes forming an exquisite composition.
The last of six specially commissioned coupes completed by Figoni in 1936, Chassis No. 47242 is recorded in the Figoni company register, which notes the completed coupe was delivered to the Delahaye factory, suggesting it was exhibited in concours d'elegance or retained as a factory demonstrator. The Compétition Court chassis was one of Delahaye’s most exclusive offerings with only 30 estimated to have been built. It was a homologation special not listed in the company literature and offered through private arrangement only to “special friends” of the company in bare-chassis form to be fitted with lightweight custom coupe or roadster coachwork by the customer’s carrossier of choice.
It was essentially a road-going Grand Prix-specification chassis on the shorter 106-inch wheelbase, described in the definitive history “Delahaye: Le Grand Livre” as having “a cocktail of parts from the series three Type 135 chassis and the Specials,” with additional specially made components. Its racing-purposed features included the powerful and reliable 3.5L competition-spec inline-6 engine—mounted low in the chassis to lower the center of gravity—a remote oil cooler mounted below the radiator, outside-mounted rear springs, a competition fuel tank with dual fillers and a rare competition-spec 4-speed manual transmission.
This car’s body, No. 609, is unique among the six Figoni-bodied coupes, with its distinctive bonnet flanked by Marchal headlights faired into the inner front wings, a signature feature of future Figoni designs. Fashioned in steel with an aluminum bonnet, boot, fenders, doors and bumpers, its streamlined teardrop fender shapes are emphasized by accents flowing back from the bonnet’s leading edge, down across the doors and then scribing the rear fender arches. Thin chrome strips delicately accent the fender peaks, their contours repeated in small chrome accents on the rear fender skirts, and a central tail fin contoured to match those on the rear fenders divides the split rear window.
Like many French treasures, the car was hidden from occupying forces during World War II, resurfacing in the early 1950s in the possession of Jean-Pierre Bernard, then sales manager for Delahaye and eventual founder and president of Club Delahaye. Its history shows that it passed through several owners in France before being sold to an Italian buyer around the end of the 1950s. Some four decades passed before it again re-emerged in the late 1990s, this time with a garage owner in Brescia who sold it to its next owner in Geneva, Switzerland. It was remarkably complete; while the opening for the sunroof had been closed, the operating mechanism remained intact, and the chassis plate showing No. 47242 was in its correct location on the firewall.
The car was then imported into the United States, where it was restored for concours d’elegance judging. After its postwar discovery, the car had been fitted with a newer engine, so, in keeping with the strict standards of its restoration, the search began for an extremely rare Competition-spec 3.5L engine. Interestingly, the replacement—featuring the unique triple Solex carburetors and correct date-code stamping—was found not far from where the car was located for decades near Brescia.
While the car’s mechanical systems were being rebuilt, the wood framework was refurbished to Figoni et Falaschi’s exacting standards, and the body was refinished in its magnificent black paint and rich chromed trim. The gorgeous interior is likewise worthy of the Figoni et Falaschi legacy, a luxurious mixture of supple red leather upholstery with quill ostrich inserts, hand-sculpted and mirror-polished wood trim, an elegant engine-turned dash panel and blue-faced gauges and tachometer.
The masterful restoration of this exceptional automobile was rewarded with a First in Class upon its public unveiling at the 2001 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Amazingly, in 2003, in the space of less than one week, it earned Best of Show awards at the Celebration of Automobiles at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Concours d’Elegance of Texas. Lovingly maintained in concours-winning presentation, it also earned Best of Show and People’s Choice at the 2014 Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Kemble, Ontario, and it was honored with an invitation to the “Art in Automobiles” exhibit at the 2015 Canadian International Auto show in Toronto.
A superlative machine built with great care and precision and restored to its original splendor, this 1936 Delahaye Type 135 “Competition Court” Teardrop Coupe is one of Giuseppe Figoni’s finest creations, a genuine masterpiece born of race-proven engineering coupled with the peerless vision of a master of the art of coachbuilding.
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Had a blast with my auto-enthusiast friend and neighbor, Fred, at Monterey Car Week 2021.
Mecum Auction
Bob Mc Dorman Chevrolet
Canal Winchester, Ohio.
Fairfield and Franklin Counties, USA
September 10-11, 2009
Mecum at Monterey 2010
via ww.Hooniverse.com
Photos by Abraham Rodriguez
Mecum at Monterey 2010
via ww.Hooniverse.com
Photos by Abraham Rodriguez
Mecum at Monterey 2010
via ww.Hooniverse.com
Photos by Abraham Rodriguez
Mecum at Monterey 2010
via ww.Hooniverse.com
Photos by Abraham Rodriguez
Mecum at Monterey 2010
via ww.Hooniverse.com
Photos by Abraham Rodriguez
Mecum at Monterey 2010
via ww.Hooniverse.com
Photos by Abraham Rodriguez
Mecum at Monterey 2010
via ww.Hooniverse.com
Photos by Abraham Rodriguez
Mecum at Monterey 2010
via ww.Hooniverse.com
Photos by Abraham Rodriguez
Mecum at Monterey 2010
via ww.Hooniverse.com
Photos by Abraham Rodriguez
Mecum at Monterey 2010
via ww.Hooniverse.com
Photos by Abraham Rodriguez