Lot 033: 1929 DELAGE DR70 FOUR SEAT TOURER

For much of the 1920s and 1930s, Delage was the most famous French make. The firm's racing cars of the mid-1920s were advanced and successful: their complex engines, especially the 2-litre V-12 and 1.5-litre straight 8 still command awe some 80 years later. A 10.5-litre Delage captured the Land Speed Record in 1924, driven by RenÚ Thomas. Beginning with proprietary-engined light cars, from 1905 Louis Delage drove his firm forward and soon Delage was a major manufacturer, and had built racing cars that competed with credit in the Grands Prix of 1913 and 1914: a Delage won the important Coupe de l'Auto race of 1911. Delage touring cars of the 1920s were of excellent quality, and most carried bodies that were the work of the top coachbuilders. The DR-70 was a relatively short-lived 6-cylinder model introduced for the 1929 season, and supplanted by the ohv DS from 1931. 70 x 109mm bore and stroke gave the DR a capacity of 2530ccs, there was a 7-bearing crankshaft, and the Ricardo cylinder head combined with side valves delivered a performance in excess of the expected. A dry single plate clutch took the drive to an in-unit 4-speed gearbox, and thence by torque tube to the 3.7:1 rear axle. The brakes were finned 13 inch drums, ably assisted by a large vacuum servo. The history provided by the vendor states that this car was imported new as a chassis into Australia in 1929 by Claude Vanderkelen of Toorak, the brother of the then-Belgian consul, who, together with famed coachbuilder, James Flood of Melbourne designed and built the aluminium-panelled open touring body still fitted. Mr Vanderkelen used the car until March 5 1939. Two owners later, in 1964, it changed hands to enthusiast Ian de Beuzeville, who ran it daily for a couple of years before undertaking a full restoration, after which it competed in numerous events. The Delage was imported into the UK about 3 years ago. Today, this handsome vintage sports touring car with its original coachwork featuring a vee-windscreen, is described by its vendor as follows: transmission and gearbox, chassis and tyres, electrical equipment, bodywork, upholstery and interior trim all "very good", and the engine is stated to have had a "recent overhaul". It has current tax and MOT; these do not expire until May 2008. It is a fine quality car, one that has always "been together" and has benefited from 78 years of appreciative care from a relatively small number of discriminating owners.