Historic Cars

04/10/2026

New In 1935 Delahaye 138 Coupe des Alpes

A Rare Survivor from the Birth of Delahaye’s Competition Era
The significance of chassis 45538 ultimately lies not in any single aspect of its history, but in the combination of them all. Its identity has been known from new. Its first owner, Paris registration 6201 RJ 8 and Chapron bodywork are documented. Its participation in the 1936 Monte Carlo Rally, where it finished 12th overall, is confirmed by period results. A few months later, it again finished 12th in the 3 Hours of Marseille. Its subsequent provenance can then be traced through the AGACI, Serge Pozzoli, Flavien Marçais, Pierre Honegger, François Cointreau and its current owner.
Above all, however, it belongs to a generation that has become exceptionally rare. Chassis 45538 was built at the precise moment when Delahaye was entering a new era. The 138 Sport had just earned its sporting credentials in the Coupe des Alpes and on the banking at Montlhéry. The 135 was about to appear. The sixteen 135 Spécials would soon carry the marque into Europe’s greatest races, before Delahaye reached the pinnacle of this extraordinary sporting adventure with victory at the 1938 24 Hours of Le Mans

📷 by Remi Dargegen

01/10/2026

45538: A 138 Sport Born to Race
Built in June 1935, chassis 45538 belongs to the final development phase of the Type 138 Sport, at the very moment when Delahaye was progressively adopting the 135 Sport designation.
Its specification is characteristic of the second-series 138 Sport “Coupe des Alpes”: a short, semi-lowered chassis with a 2.86-metre wheelbase, right-hand drive and 18-inch wheels. Beneath the bonnet sits Delahaye’s 3,227cc inline six-cylinder engine, with an 80 mm bore and 107 mm stroke. In “Coupe des Alpes” specification, it is fed by three carburettors and develops approximately 100 bhp. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual gearbox, while braking is provided by mechanically operated drums on all four wheels. In this configuration, the 138 Sport was capable of approaching 150 km/h.
Chapron clothed 45538 in a particularly purposeful sporting body. This was therefore not simply a touring Delahaye modified for greater performance, but a car belonging to the first generation of chassis on which Delahaye genuinely built its return to competition. Ambaud wasted little time in using it accordingly.

📷 Remi Dargegen

29/09/2026

A Delahaye 138 Sport Born to Race - A Rare Survivor from the Birth of Delahaye’s Competition Era
https://mailchi.mp/historiccars.fr/a-delahaye-138-sport-born-to-race

29/09/2026

New in and ready to go 💨
1935 Delahaye 138 Coupe des Alpes ex Monte Carlo Rally 🏁

The story of Delahaye is that of one of France’s oldest motor manufacturers and, above all, of a remarkable transformation. Émile Delahaye built his first automobiles in Tours at the end of the nineteenth century and was quick to enter them in competition, personally taking part in the Paris–Marseille–Paris race in 1896. From 1898 onwards, the company’s activities were transferred to Paris under the direction of Georges Morane and Léon Desmarais. For more than three decades, Delahaye built its reputation on the quality and robustness of its automobiles, but also of its trucks, fire engines and industrial engines.
The real turning point came in 1933. In a market profoundly affected by the economic crisis, the Morane family decided to reposition the marque towards prestige and top-level competition. Under engineers Amédée Varlet and later Jean François, together with Charles Weiffenbach – known as “Monsieur Charles” – who oversaw both production and the competition programme, Delahaye developed a new generation of fast, powerful and elegant automobiles. The incorporation of Delage in 1935 further reinforced this new direction.
This evolution coincided with the golden age of French coachbuilding. Sold as bare chassis, Delahayes became a favoured canvas for some of the greatest names in the business: Chapron, Figoni & Falaschi, Saoutchik, Letourneur & Marchand, Labourdette, Autobineau, Antem, Guilloré and Dubos. Roadsters, cabriolets, streamlined coupés and concours bodies established an image in which mechanical performance was inseparable from French elegance. The Type 135 would become its most celebrated expression, but the story truly began with the 138.

📷 by Remi Dargegen

16/09/2026

SOLD 🏁

Happy to have trade that wonderful racing machine to a great new Home… we know it will be race soon 💨

For the 1973 season, Patrick Head and John Barnard developed the T292 for Eric Broadley’s Lola, derived from the 1972 T290, to participate in the European 2-litre Sportscar Championship. The new T292 had an elongated nose compared to the previous model and was equipped, on the rear body, with a high and full-width wing to improve road holding. To reduce the sprung masses, the rear brakes were moved to the sides of the gearbox.

The Lola T292 HU54, equipped with the 2-litre BMW engine tuned by Schnitzer, was used in 1973 by Ecurie Archambeaud-Switzerland, founded by Paul Henri Archambeaud and driven by the Frenchman Hervé Bayard, participated in the European 2-litre Sportscar Championship and in hillcilmb races of the French championship. From 1973 to 1976 the Lola T292 HU54 was driven by the Frenchman Jean Belin in the hillcilmb races of the European and French championships. After almost a decade spent in a museum, the T292 HU54 in 1986 participated in the Sprint Le Mans with the Frenchman Jean Proyart and the Belgian Jean-Michel Martin.

📷 by Ultimatecarpage.com & .de.jager

12/09/2026

11/09/2026

Retrouvons-nous à Chantilly - https://mailchi.mp/historiccars.fr/retrouvons-nous-chantilly nous seront présentes à Chantilly Arts & Elégance Richard Mille, ce dimanche 13 septembre 2026.

23/08/2026

A look back at a few cars we delivered to their new owners earlier this year. As the summer break draws to a close, we are setting our sights on the remainder of 2026, which promises to bring a few more wonderful surprises.



📷 by Remi Dargegen

11/07/2026

New in

Built in 1963, this Jaguar 3.8-litre OTS Semi-Lightweight benefits from an exceptional provenance and has been prepared to the highest standards for historic competition.
Originally prepared by C2C several years ago for one of its clients, the car successfully competed in several prestigious Peter Auto events before being acquired, through our brokerage, by a prominent French collector.
Under the current ownership, the Jaguar has continued its successful competition career, taking part in numerous Sixties Endurance races as well as several editions of the Le Mans Classic, proving both its competitiveness and outstanding reliability.
Fully compliant with its FIA Historic Technical Passport (HTP), this Semi-Lightweight features all the specifications sought after by the most demanding historic racers. Built on a steel monocoque fitted with lightweight aluminium panels, it is equipped with Dunlop MK9 brakes, ‘peg drive’ wheels, and benefits from a highly developed competition specification throughout.
Power comes from an all-aluminium engine featuring a ‘wide angle’ cylinder head and Weber 48 carburettors. The engine was expertly built by renowned Jaguar specialist Nick Finburgh using premium Crosthwaite & Gardiner components and produces approximately 370 horsepower, delivering exceptional performance while remaining faithful to the spirit and engineering of the period competition cars.
Ready to compete in the world’s most prestigious historic racing events, the car is offered with French registration, a current FIA Historic Technical Passport (HTP), a complete spare set of wheels, and a complete cast-iron ‘straight port’ spare engine, providing both valuable race support and long-term preservation of its mechanical heritage.
With its outstanding provenance, first-class preparation and highly desirable specification, this Jaguar 3.8-litre OTS Semi-Lightweight represents a rare opportunity to acquire a front-running historic competition car, eligible for the most prestigious international historic racing events

📷 by Remi Dargegen & Ultimatecarpage.com

07/07/2026

Merci Race Car Engineering what a weekend