Introduced in Paris in 1935, the Delahaye 135 featured a new chassis with a 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine, succeeded the following season by the 135 M with a slightly larger engine offering single, dual, or triple carburetors for more horsepower. The model more than held its own in competition, sweeping the top six places at Marseille in 1936, then in the following years would cement its lasting reputation by taking 2nd overall at Le Mans in 1937 and 1st, 2nd, and 4th the following year. Delahaye 135s also won the Rallye Monte Carlo in both 1937 and 1939. Roadgoing Delahayes featured the same potent drivetrain as these competition models, wrapped in some of the very finest coachwork crafted in Europe.

One of the most prominent of these coachbuilders was Alphonse Guilloré, whose atelier in Courbevoie specialized in striking cabriolets and coaches. The first of his post-war designs was a cabriolet which he offered at the 1946 Paris Motor Show, featuring a raked, V-shaped windshield, bold chrome body flares, a long tail carrying a concealed spare, and headlights blended into the tips of the teardrop-style front fenders. It was a striking combination of classic and modern, and one of the most memorable automobiles of the show.

The original cabriolet design was followed by the production of three two-passenger roadster versions, of which the car offered here—chassis number 800544—is one of just two known intact survivors. A history report on file from the noted Delahaye historian Jean-Paul Tissot includes marvelous period photographs, including one showing the car actually still underway in the Guilloré atelier in early 1947. The car was first registered on 16 June 1947 to Établissements Levasseur, a prominent cotton mill in Rouen, France, likely on behalf of one of their principals.

On 17 October 1950 the car was registered anew to Louis Couach, a shipyard owner from Arcachon, then 10 years later changed hands to Jacques Claverie, owner of the Perpignan Grands Magasins retail store. In 1975 it was acquired by Jean Reusse, also of Perpignan, and then in July 2017 purchased by the prominent Delahaye collector Roger Tainguy of Épiney-sur-Orge.

In Mr. Tainguy’s ownership, the car was entrusted to the noted Delahaye specialist Jean-Luc Bonnefoy’s Concept et Restauration for a full concours-quality restoration, in which reportedly every aspect of the car was fully addressed, including restoration of the wooden body structure by Marcadier. It is this restoration that the car wears today, in a bold livery of deep plum with violet moldings and top, flattering of its spectacular lines. Its soft rose-beige leather interior incorporates a set of fitted luggage aft of the driver’s seat. Polished spun aluminum wheel covers are an appropriately exotic finishing touch. The original engine, number 800544, remains intact, with what is believed to be a period-correct upgrade to triple carburetors, for even more superb performance. The owner notes that the car has been fitted with new blackwall tires for touring, as well as a new top.

Accompanied by the aforementioned Tissot history report, selected restoration photographs, and other documentation, this is a most tempting Delahaye of the finest specification and with one of the most beautiful bodies by a revered coachbuilder known for the modernity of his lines and the quality of his craftsmanship. It is an exceptional French Classic.