Lot 687: c.1926 Delage DI Tourer

�Delage have to their credit many world�s records, including a world�s championship, and more awards at the principal Concours d�Elegance than any other car in the world� To these achievements Delage have added a third and greater. They have made the highest known degree of luxury and performance available at the price the average motorist can pay.�
Delage�s publicity had every right to sing the praises of what - arguably - was the finest French car of its day. Founded in 1905 by Louis Delage, the company 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 Louis himself taking the 1911 Coupe de l�Auto in a 3-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 overhead-valve V12.
Four-cylinder DI and six-cylinder DM cars formed the mainstay of the company�s touring car production in the 1920s. Introduced in 1924, and very well specified for its day, the DI was powered by a 2.1-litre, overhead-valve engine driving via a four-speed gearbox, and came with four-wheel brakes. A beautifully balanced fast touring car, it possessed exceptional performance, with comfortable suspension, light and responsive steering and good roadholding, yet was rugged enough to withstand the punishment meted out by cobbled roads.
This Delage DI tourer was purchased by the vendor�s husband (now deceased) as a restoration project. Driven into the garage 35 years ago and placed on jacks, it has remained there ever since, untouched. There are no documents with this vehicle, which is offered for restoration and sold strictly as viewed.