Delahaye 135M Ghia

The Delahaye 135M Ghia appeared at a time when French coachbuilding was still at its peak, and was bodied by the most important names including Antem, Chapron, Figoni, Labourdette, Pourtout ou Saoutchik. However, after the war, bodywork styles were starting to change and coachbuilders hesitated about the direction to take : to stick with traditional designs influenced by the excesses of the 1930s and characterized by Figoni’s ‘Narval’ styling, that ultimately led to an impasse ; and on the other hand the development of a new style that was evolving on the other side of the Alps. It is generally thought that the Cisitalia 202 coupé gave rise to this new direction, designed in 1947 by Pinin Farina, who developed a softer ‘ponton’ styling that characterized the Turin School for decades to come. Ghia sat at the crossroads of these trends : hesitating between nostalgic pre-war splendour and a new Italian style based on a smaller chassis that was more modern and sportier. At the time, Luigi Segre and Mario Boano were in charge of design at Ghia, and they took on board these different trends and translated them into new designs. It must be remembered that Mario Felice Boano bought Ghia, the Turin coachbuilder, in 1944, on the death of its founder Giancinto Ghia. Thus, in 1946, a Fiat 1500 was bodied by Ghia Turin in the flamboyant style to be adopted by the Delahaye, with removable wheel fairings, thought to improve the aerodynamics of the car. This very special shape ( produced in collaboration with the designer Capalbi), was also subsequently used on a Talbot Lago Record, an Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS and three Delahaye 135s, that Jean-Paul Tissot, president of Club Delahaye France, has given us details of : a cabriolet (n°800488) bodied by Ghia Aigle and exhibited at the 1948 Geneva Motor Show, a coupé (n° 800573) also by Ghia Aigle, and this Delahaye 135M Ghia here, bodied by Ghia Turin. The three cars all exist today, the cabriolet belonging to the Mahy Collection in Belgium. This coupé, built on a 135 M chassis, is fitted with type 6S103 engine with triple carburettor. According to renowned Dutch specialist Vincent van der Vinne, a magazine article from De Auto of 15th January 1965, states that this car was built for the Shah of Iran, who took delivery of it in 1949. A photo taken in the late 1950s would show him next to n° 800514. The article also says that the Shah of Iran kept the car until 1957, the date it was sold to a KLM pilot, who imported it into Holland. He, in turn, sold the Delahaye in 1964 to a certain Mr. Wiltschut, the owner of a bakery business in Hilversum. The article gives the sale price as 60 000 Dutch florins, which was almost the price of a Ferrari 330 GT at the time. The Delahaye 135M Ghia then joined the Blackhawk Collection in the US, where it was in 1989. It underwent a thorough and high quality restoration and appeared at an auction in Monaco in 2010, when it belonged to the O’Quinn Collection. This was when the current owner, a very selective French collector, bought the car, seduced by its originality. He has only used it sparingly since.