 |
 |
 |
 |
The History of Delage
The very first Delage the "A type", had a 9HP one cylinder DE DION engine. A 9 HP four cylinders car arrived later, followed by a 12HP and a 2588cc six cylinders
At that time, workshop was at Cormeilles Street in Levallois. From the beginning Delage entered, with good results, his cars in motor races and never stopped.
Orders were always going up. So workshop becoming too small, Delage moved and, in 1907, set up at Baudin Street, always in Levallois. In 1908, Delage owned a 4000m2 factory. The same year, he won the "500 km Dieppe Grand Prix" at the average speed of 50 miles/hour
As soon as 1909, Delage manufactured his own engines. Then a great car - engineer, Michelat, joined the company and François Repusseau built bodies.
In 1910,workshops were flooded by the Seine and as they were too narrow, factory moved, in 1912, to Verdun boulevard in Courbevoie.
Commercial department was installed 60 at Pereire boulevard in Paris.
In 1911, the X type, designed by Michelat, won the "Coupe de l'Auto" at Boulogne.
In 1913-1914, Delage increased his racing orientation and also turned to luxury cars moved by six cylinder engines.
In 1914, production stopped.
But it's not before First World that Delage became famous.
After the war, DE and DI types came. The first very noticed DELAGE car was 1918 CO type. She had a 20 HP 4524 cc six cylinders and became, in 1921, the CO2 type, the first car with front brakes. At that time, Delage went from Paris to Nice in 16 hours at the average speed of 42 miles per hour.
During the "twenties" Delage entered successfully his cars in motor races.
The most crowned Delage cars were a 2121-cc DI type and a 30HP 5954 cc GL type. They were built to compete with Hispano - Suiza. Then a long lineage of six cylinders came with 3174 cc DM and 2518 cc DR types.
Louis Delâge, who was still thinking of racing, built the 2LS type and successfully entered his cars in motor racing competitions. Then, he built a 5 liters 12 cylinders engine.
Besides motor racing, Production was going on with DI S then DI SS types. During 26 year, DM, DMS, DMN types were equipped with a 3 liters six cylinders, followed by DR, D6 11 and D4.
Still loving competition, Louis Delâge imagined a 1500 cc / 8 cylinders car helped by an engineer called A. LORY. This car will win all the "Grand Prix" and Sir Delage became the first " World Constructor Champion ".
1929, Delage was always looking for more beautiful cars. So he designed the D8 with a 4061cc 8 on - line engine that became the D 8 - S (sport). The most beautiful bodies dressed these frames and Delage wined all "Concours d'élégance".
But economic crisis went on and Delage cars became difficult to sell. Louis Delage undertook a big technical revival, helped by his great and talented engineers but financial and commercial situation was vigorously shaken.
In 1932, 2101cc D6 - 11 came followed two years later by a new 8cylenders, the 2768cc D8 - 15.The last made in Courbevoie cars are D6 - 65, D8 - 85 and D8 - 105 and factory closure happened.
When he sold his trademark to Walter Watney (DELAHAYE), Delage got the possibility to build DELAGE cars (4303cc D8 - 100, D8 - 120 and 2729cc D6 - 70) in his factory, so production didn't stop. After the war, Delahaye built 3-liters / 6 cylinders Delage but, at the end, Delage name died in 1953.
