Lot 029: 1932 DELAGE D6 FAUX CABRIOLET

"There is a select band of motor cars which have the indefinable power to charm the driver and passengers immediately they are taken on the road. The Delage as a make most certainly belongs to this comparatively small group . . . the 22hp six-cylinder . . . feels exactly right and the driver realizes at once that he is handling an altogether exceptional machine" (Autocar, 8th May 1931). Introduced at the October 1930 Paris Salon, the Delage D6 was designed by Maurice Gaultier. Sharing the same bore and stroke dimensions (77mm x 109mm) as the marque's D8 flagship but employing six rather than eight cylinders, the newcomer's 3045cc OHV engine was rated at 72bhp and allied to a four-speed manual gearbox. Beautifully built, the D6 was based around a sturdy ladder frame chassis equipped with all round leaf-sprung suspension and four-wheel drum brakes. Available in two wheelbases, the model attracted the attention of various renowned coachbuilders (though, most were bodied in-house). Outsold by its illustrious sibling - to which it was arguably too close in terms of both price and appeal - just 1,160 D6s are thought to have left the Parisian factory between 1930 and 1933. This attractive example carries faux cabriolet coachwork from the renowned French coachbuilder Henri Chapron and was originally registered in England during January 1932. In the first ownership for 25 years it appears to have changed hands just seven times during the following 61 years before being acquired at auction by Mr. Ecclestone in 1993 and forming part of his extensive private collection until quite recently. Finished in light blue with dark blue bonnet and wings, and with a red leather interior, the car remains in largely original un-restored condition. Maintenance over more recent years has included recovering of the roof and rear-mounted trunk in black vinyl, re-plating of the radiator shell and replacement of the carpeting. We understand from the vendor that the engine has received recent attention and is running but will require further work. Accessories include a Boyce MotoMeter, a stone guard and wing-mounted side lights, whilst friction shock absorbers are fitted to the front. Documentation includes a Swansea V5C and duplicate old style log book. PLEASE NOTE: This lot is finished in light blue over dark blue with a black roof and not "blue with black wings and bonnet" as mistakenly stated in the printed catalogue. This lot is not accompanied by a duplicate old style logbook.