1949 DELAHAYE 135 CABRIOLET PAR HENRI CHAPRON

French title
Chassis n° 800940
Engine n° 800940
Chapron n° 6584

• One of around ten similar examples
• Older high-quality restoration by Chapron
• French car from new

The cabriolet 135 M on offer has a body that was built in the renowned workshops of Henri Chapron, displaying particular features such as semi-recessed lights and a more prominent front nose. Thanks to valuable information received from the Club Delahaye France president, Jean-Paul Tissot, we know that the car was registered in the Seine et Oise department in October 1949, with the number 3778 YD 2. It was registered with the number 1449 AH 78 again on 23 February 1951 still in the same area, in the name of an engineer. We then come across the cabriolet in the mid 1980s in the Hauts de Seine, registered 6778 NH 92.
It has also belonged to a former president of the Bugatti Club. The car has been restored by Chapron in the mid-1980s (see photo of the car in the workshop). In December 1993 it was offered at auction by Maître Boisgirard of the company Montessuy in the Aquaboulevard park in Paris and sold for 420.000 frs. Our cabriolet was subsequently sold to a collector from Finistère, and was acquired by the current owner in 2013. This Delahaye 135, carefully restored in the past, is still presented in very good condition today. Its lined soft top, that can be opened in three different positions, adds to the charm and elegant styling of this Mylord cabriolet. Used regularly, the car appears to be running well mechanically and is equipped with a Cotal gearbox, for smooth and simple operation. In recent years it has made regular trips lasting several days, always completing the journey reliably. The production of this type of Chapron cabriolet was limited to around ten examples and our car represents a very fine example of a model with qualities still admired today. Eligible for prestigious historic events, it can be used immediately with great ease.

The auction of this lot will take place on Friday 18 March 2022.
https://www.artcurial.com/fr/lot-1949-delahaye-135-cabriolet-par-henri-chapron-4134-127