French registration papers

Chassis number: 4894

- Original engine
- Older restoration
- Well-documented history

Born in Cognac in 1874 into a very modest family, Louis Delage graduated from the Arts et Métiers engineering school in Angers in 1893. After working in Algeria, he was recruited by Peugeot in Levallois and quickly became the head of the test and development office. There he met Augustin Legros, like him an engineer from the Arts et Métiers. He left Peugeot to set up his own company in January 1905, at the age of 31. Supported by capable engineers from the start, Delage immediately achieved strong sales and established his excellent reputation.
It was in this context that the Type R small car appeared in 1910, an elegant two-seat “torpedo” with a 1450cc in-line four-cylinder engine from Ballot, which could propel it to a top speed of approx. 37mph (60kph). Depending on the engine fitted, the fiscal horsepower rating varied from 8 – 10hp. The Type R was built until 1913.

The Delage presented here is a Type R4 Torpedo, i.e. a model fitted with the Ballot Type 4 G 3 engine rated at 9hp. Monsieur B bought it in 1969 and began its restoration in August 1973. As with all his cars, he made a note of everything. The complete strip-down of the car alone took some 400 hours! A year later, the Delage was back on the road. Together with the Talbot DC, the Type R is probably one of the cars which the couple who owned it drove the most. They took part with it in rallies in almost every region of France. Brittany, Corsica, the Doubs, the Occitan region and even Paris, long distances held no fears for these enthusiastic collectors. They even ventured as far as Switzerland and Andorra to take part in rallies and drove the Route Napoleon – from Grenoble to Cannes and back – just a year after starting the restoration. The file for the car also includes several copies of the manufacturer’s technical documentation from the period. A copy of the official factory records is likewise present: this shows the chassis number 4894 and enables us to confirm that this fine car is still fitted with its original engine.

Aguttes – Auction House in Paris
The Autumn Sale 2020 / 13th of December

Public Viewing:
On appointment only

Contact: +33 1 47 45 93 01 / [email protected]

The Auction Sale:
Sunday 13 December: 15:00 PM

Aguttes
164 bis avenue Charles de Gaullle
92 200 Neuilly-sur-Seine

For more information:
Contact: +33 1 47 45 93 01 / +33 6 16 91 42 28 / [email protected]

https://expertise.aguttes.com/estimation-automobiles-de-collection/