For decades, Delahaye was the pinnacle of French luxury in the automobile Industry. Founded in 1894, the family-owned automobile manufacturing company started by designing and producing luxury belt-driven cars. They did this throughout the 1890s and early 1900s as Delahaye became the leading exporter of luxury cars to French colonies in Africa and North America.
Founded by engineer Emile Delahaye, the brand slowly grew until it was hindered by World War II. After the war ended, Delahaye attempted to resume trading, but the market had drastically changed. Struggling to compete with the likes of Citroën, they decided to merge with Hotchkiss so that it could remain financially viable to create stunning limited-production vehicles for their bespoke clientele. Despite not achieving mainstream success, Delahaye managed to create some stunning works of art that have been refurbished and restored as classics.
Keep reading to learn more about historic French car manufacturer Delahaye and its classic cars.
10 Founded By Emile Delahaye
Delahaye was founded by Emile Delahaye back in 1894. Established in France, Emile decided to manufacture luxury cars for an elite client base in France. While the brand took off in France, Delahaye ended up exporting most of its cars to other parts of the world.
This made Delahaye one of the leading manufacturers of luxury vehicles in the world. Bolstered by the strong client base in French colonies, Delahaye managed to expand manufacturing and even moved its HQ to Paris.
9 Specialized In Luxury Cars
The brand quickly became synonymous with luxury and privilege, with a price tag to match. This is what helped elevate the brand and grow a loyal customer base around the world. The cars from Delahaye were expensive, but were made from the best materials money could buy.
This is what customers knew when they bought a Delahaye as most of the customers were extremely wealthy businessmen and even royalty. Delahaye took their time making cars as well. By 1904, the company had only made around 850 vehicles.
8 Licensing Deal With Protos
Delahaye wanted to expand within Europe and decided to go the licensing route rather than building their own factories. They signed a lucrative deal with a German manufacturer, Protos, in 1907. This saw them manufacture the cars in Germany and import them to the United Kingdom.
This licensing deal worked for both parties as Delahaye continued to grow its brand and customer base throughout Europe. This was financially successful for the company as well until the Second World War.
7 Pirated Version In The US
Before the Second World War interrupted the production of Delahaye, the brand became so famous that it inspired copycats in the United States. US-based manufacturer White decided to copy the Delahaye design and manufacture their own cars locally for the North American market.
This had a distinct impact on the company’s North American sales and did take a financial toll on the manufacturer. This, along with the war, made manufacturing trucks and war vehicles the primary source of income for the French manufacturer.
6 Racing Heritage
In 1934, Delahaye decided to enter the motorsport world. They did this by setting 18 class records at Montlhery in a specially designed 18 Sport. The company introduced a few sporty models that included the 2.15-Liter engine.
They entered their cars in a variety of different events, including various hill climbs and even the legendary endurance race, Le Mans. While they did not manage to win the competition, they did manage to finish off 5that Le Mans in 1935.
5 Setbacks Due To World War II
As a French brand manufacturing its cars in Germany, the Second World War did not help the company’s financial ambitions. While the local manufacturing facilities in France were converted to produce trucks and military vehicles for the French Army, the consumer car division completed shut down for the war.
This turned the entire company upside down and had lasting effects after the war as well. Even though the war ended in 1945, Delahaye spend much of the 50s still manufacturing military vehicles for France and the United States in their factories.
4 Merger With Hotchkiss
The company was never able to fully recover after the war. This was due to the entire market shifting and competitors being too large to directly compete with anymore. Companies like Citroën were now manufacturing and selling over 30,000 cars per year, while Delahaye was only able to produce around 500.
This saw the company look for a commercial partner to help them navigate the industry at that time. Delahaye turned to their largest competitor, Hotchkiss, and negotiated a merger with them. Delahaye and Hotchkiss eventually merged in 1954, a few months before Hotchkiss decided to take over the company entirely and shut down the production of Delahaye vehicles entirely.
3 Manufacturing For The Army
With business running dry for the luxury manufacturer, the company sought out new ways to use its manufacturing facility to generate new revenue. While the war was over, the French army was still ramping up its presence throughout Europe.
This led to them outsourcing the production of their “Jeep” military vehicle to Delahaye. The Delahaye VLW was designed and produced directly for the military during the 1950s. While this was not a substantial part of their portfolio, it was a necessary measure to keep the company alive.
2 David Disiere’s Delahayes
One of the most iconic models to come from Delahaye was the 1937 Delahaye 135M. This model was designed specifically for David Disiere, a classic car collector from the United States. David owns 3 Delahaye cars, the 135M, 135M Cabriolet, and the 1952 Delahaye 235 Chapron Coupe.
While many may overlook the brand entirely, the cars are incredibly valuable today. With only around 60 cars being fully restored, their value has exponentially grown over the last few years. This has led David’s collection to be worth around $28.5 million today.
1 Refurbished Classics
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While many may think that the classic manufacturer is far past its prime, you may be surprised to learn that the brand lives on today. While they may not create new cars or models, refurbishing and modifying older models have become a modern art form within the classic car community.
These refurbishments can vary depending on what bespoke clients desire for their modern classics. While some clients may just want to bring the old car back to life, others may want deeper modifications to be made to make the car more practical for modern-day driving.