Unveiled to the public in 1935, the Delahaye 135 marked a bold shift for the venerable French automaker. Delahaye embraced a sporting spirit with the new 135 – an elegant, competition-borne thoroughbred that would go on to become the marque’s crowning achievement. Rightly regarded as Delahaye’s finest hour, the 135 proved its mettle on both track and tarmac, taking outright victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monte Carlo Rally. In road-going form, it became a canvas for some of the most dramatic and beautiful coachbuilt designs of the era.

Built on a chassis featuring advanced, independent front suspension, a well-located rear live-axle, and cable-operated Bendix drum brakes at each corner, the 135 earned praise for its superb handling and road manners. The high-performance Coupe des Alpes variant, named for the rugged Alpine rally it helped tame, added a trio of 40 mm Solex downdraft carburetors to its robust overhead-valve inline-six, the result of which was a broad, torquey powerband and a marked increase in output. Most examples were fitted with Cotal preselector gearboxes, but the car offered here is unusually equipped with a traditional four-speed manual gearbox – a setup preferred by keen drivers seeking a more involved experience.

All Delahayes were delivered as rolling chassis, and chassis 47545 had the rare good fortune to be bodied by Henri Chapron, one of Europe’s most revered coachbuilders. One of just seven 135s believed to have received this exquisitely proportioned and elegantly flowing roadster coachwork, the example at hand stands out further for its unusual dickey seat – a feature rarely seen on continental coachwork of the period. Its striking black over red color scheme, retained today, has adorned the car for the majority of its known and remarkable life. Hidden away during WWII, 47545 is reputed – by both written history and period photography – to have taken part in the Liberation Day parade in Annecy, France.

Acquired in 2015 by revered collector Jon Shirley, the car then underwent a fastidious five-year restoration by renowned artisan Butch Dennison and his team at Dennison International. Supported by extensive records and invoices totaling well over one million dollars, the quality of refurbishment work was affirmed by a Best in Class win at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®. Later owned by the respected enthusiast John Shibles, it now resides with another dedicated West Coast connoisseur of high repute.

Accompanied by a treasure trove of documentation, including period photographs, handwritten records, including a letter from Noëlle Chapron, this extraordinary Delahaye 135 Coupes des Alpes Cabriolet offers an unrepeatable opportunity to acquire one of the most captivating and exotic French automobiles ever built.