AUTOMOTIVE MASTERPIECES PRE & POST WW2 DELAYE, DELAGE AND TALBOT CLASSICS PRIVATE COLLECTION ESTIMATED AT £4 MILLION

French Curves – Automotive Haute Couture

THE BEST PRE-WW2 AND POST WAR PRIVATE FRENCH COLLECTION OF DELAHAYE, DELAGE & TALBOT CLASSIC CARS -

ESTIMATE AT £4M FOR SALE WITH OSENAT AUCTIONS

Paris, December 11, 2023. Osenat auction house and its Collector Cars department will have the honour of taking over the Retromobile show from January 31 to February 4, 2024, to exhibit on their booth nine jewels of pre-war and immediate post-war French motoring that have been carefully assembled over decades by an enthusiast with exacting standards and passion. The cars will be auctioned on Saturday February 3 in Paris at Osenat, avenue de Breteuil.

Insiders aside, few people today remember that France was one of the pioneering nations of the automobile in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In fact, before the Second World War, the automotive industry was France's leading engineering industry.

Delage, Delahaye, Talbot … Three names that have made the French automobile famous, and that still resonate today in the minds of enthusiasts and collectors alike.

The collection that will be presented for sale is the work and passion of a man who wished to pass on his legacy by putting together this collection of authentic, historic French models that have been restored to the highest standards, with the aim of driving them and seeing them take part in numerous rallies.

This collection plunges us back into an era when the great automobile brands all bore the name of their coach- builder. With rare exceptions, manufacturers produced chassis and engines, leaving the design and manufacture of individual bodies to a large number of craft firms. This was the golden age of French coachbuilding, with such evocative names as Binder, Chapron, de Villard, Figoni & Falaschi, Franay, Gangloff, Labourdette and Saoutchik, now forgotten by the general public.

By presenting these masterpieces, we salute these artisans of automotive haute couture, whose reputation extended far beyond our borders.                                                                                                      

Delage, Delahaye, Talbot. Three brands and nine exceptional cars from before and immediately after the war, including the unique Talbot T23 cabriolet prototype by Chapron, the only example of the Delahaye 135 MS coach bodied by Figoni, and one of only 5 known examples of the Delahaye 135 MS "Vedette" cabriolet by Chapron. Last but not least, what can we say about this "Usine" example of a Talbot T 150 C, with its mechanics directly derived from racing, and a pencil stroke attributed to Figoni...

Our collector hopes that these cars can be driven to other horizons. May this passion be revived so that, above all, these fabulous automobiles never die.

 1939 • TALBOT-LAGO T23 CABRIOLET PROTOTYPE BY HENRI CHAPRON

FRENCH VEHICLE REGISTRATION SERIAL NUMBER: 93267

- Exceptional history: prototype ordered by the Talbot factories from the Henri Chapron workshops

- Exceptional, high-quality restoration

ESTIMATE: €250,000 - €350,000

This car was acquired in 2009 from an American collector who had owned it for some twenty years. Reduced to a wreck, its owner had given up on restoring it. While he thought the car had been imported immediately after the Liberation, having been requisitioned and painted black by German occupying troops, our research revealed a very different reality.

In reality, the T23 was never requisitioned, but in all likelihood spent the entire war period out of sight, was subsequently acquired by a succession of French and American enthusiasts, the last of whom imported it to the USA in 1956, and it emerged that the car was a specific order made by the Talbot factories to Henri Chapron for series production.

It was delivered by the latter in May 1939, but the declaration of war put an end to discussions. Initially owned by the Talbot factories, official records show a change of ownership on May 9, 1940. This date, one day before the German offensive, is puzzling and suggests that the car was sheltered. The T23 was then found in 1948 at Charles Huc in Bordeaux, and from then on, the list of owners is known, from 1948 to the present day.

1951 • DELAHAYE 235 CABRIOLET BY H. CHAPRON

SERIAL NUMBER: 818003

COLLECTOR'S REGISTRATION DOCUMENT

-  Ex Willy Breitling

-  1951 "Salon de Paris" car

ESTIMATE: €130,000 / €170,000

Presented at the "Salon de Paris" in autumn 1951, the car's first owner was Willy Breitling, the famous manufacturer of luxury watches. According to oral tradition, it was exhibited on the Salon turntable, but no photos have been found. This Delahaye was later exhibited at the Geneva Salon by the garage Montchoisy, where its first owner, Willy Breitling, acquired it.

In 1957, Willy Breitling sold the car to his company "G. Léon Breitling SA & Cie". We don't know how long the cabriolet retained its status as a company car, but evidence suggests that no new owner came forward until the late 1960s. We have a more or less precise history of the various hands through which this car passed until it landed in the hands of the current owner on February 22, 2010.

1948 • DELAHAYE 135 M CABRIOLET BY H. CHAPRON

SERIAL NUMBER: 801025 FRENCH REGISTRATION

- Beautiful history

- High quality restoration

ESTIMATE: €100,000 / €130,000

The Delahaye Type 135 is a prestige car from carmaker Delahaye, 2,592 of which were produced between the autumn of 1935 and the end of 1952. It was always offered with an in-line 6-cylinder engine of rather substantial displacement. On the Delahaye 135 M, this increases from 3.2 L to 3.6 L, delivering 140 hp and torque for unrivalled driving comfort. This is com- bined with a Cotal gearbox for smooth handling.

The model we are offering for sale was acquired by Mr. Leblanc, manager of Distilleries de Bretagne et de Normandie réunies. He was based at 5 rue Lin- coln, Paris. Delahaye's Parisian showroom was on the Avenue des Champs Elysées, just around the corner from Rue Lincoln. One can't help thinking that Mr. Leblanc, on his way to or from work, must have stopped many times to contemplate the models on display. The location is precisely 75, Avenue des Champs Elysées. The documents in our possession - from the Chapron archives - show that the choice of model, options and custom fittings was made with great care.

1947-DELAHAYE 135 MS ROADSTER « Vedette » Chapron_

SERIAL NUMBER: 801486 FRENCH REGISTRATION

- Only 5 known examples

- Henri Chapron's most successful model

- Cabriolet two-seater by H. Chapron

ESTIMATE: €800,000 / €1,000,000

This is undoubtedly one of the most envied and accomplished models by coachbuilder Henri Chapron, the undisputed master and repository of Grand Classicisme Français. As Marc-Antoine Colin points out in his book on "Delahaye 135", the Vedette has "impeccably balanced lines that happily blend pre-war style with reasonably integrated volumes".

In the course of our research, we found only four examples of the Vedette model, all in the United States in major collections, and the one we are offering for sale was acquired in February 1948 by its original owners. This Delahaye subsequently changed its registration twice, the first time to a number in the Alpes Maritimes, and the second time in 1953, when it returned to Paris, where it obtained its current registration number.

                                                                                                                                                    The example we are offering for sale is the one of the 1947 Paris Salon. Its Chapron build sheet indicates delivery for the Paris Salon. Archival photos of the Salon show a star cabriolet on display at the Delahaye stand, in a two- tone hue with a light top and dark moldings and fender cheeks. Only chassis 800 486 was given a matching color scheme. What's more, the chassis' date of entry into the Chapron body shop, June 5, 1947, coincides well with a delivery for the show.

High-quality restoration work was carried out in the Touraine workshops.

1937 • DELAGE D8-120

FRENCH REGISTRATION SERIAL NUMBER: 51028

-  High-quality restoration

-  Exceptional history

-  Best of show at the 2012 La Baule Concours d'Elegance

ESTIMATE: €400,000 / €500,000

This is the 5th built by Henri Chapron in February 1937. Part of an order for 8 "Cabriolets Grand Luxe 4-seaters", it was traced back to 1946, when it bore the registration number 5983 RL. On October 23, 1947, it became the property of Monsieur Louis Delpech, an industrialist in Annonay, as the records of the Ardèche departmental archives show. In April 1951, it took on the Isère registration number 407 V 38. Its owner was David Mayo, a resident of Décines-Charpieu.

In 1960, it was sold by Mr Alain Nicoud, 10 rue Royale, Paris, to Mr Max Liber, 5 rue Saint Auber, Paris.

On September 30, 1969, Mr. Max Liber sold it to Mr. Louis Bayard. The car stopped one day in 1969 in Dijon, having broken down a little further along the famous Nationale 6. It remained outside under an awning for 40 long years.

In 2009, she joined the collection and the restoration process began. She travelled from Paris and its traffic jams, to Cannes, Bordeaux, Brittany, Normandy, and even as far as Dubai to present the new Delage D12.

1951 • DELAHAYE 135 MS

SERIAL NUMBER: 800501

CARTE GRISE DE COLLECTION

GRAND LUXE COUPÉ BY H. CHAPRON

-  Delivered new to Raymond Hubert

-  High-quality restoration

ESTIMATE: €200,000 / €250,000

 The car was acquired at the 1947 Paris Motor Show by the attorney Raymond Hubert. The attorney had made a name for himself by acquitting Guillaume Seznec's daughter, who had murdered her husband. We're told, however, that the original colors (blue and red) displeased the attorney and that he had the car repainted in two lighter colors, although we don't know which.

In 1992, the Delahaye took part in the Tour de France Automobile in a diffe- rent color scheme. Finally, in the 2000s, it was given a new coat of red and white. Finally, in the early 2010s, it was repainted in metallic grey, a Chapron color at the time of its release.

1937 • TALBOT-LAGO T150C ROADSTER

FRENCH VEHICLE REGISTRATION SERIAL NUMBER: 90010

-  The star car of the 1937 show

-  Exceptional mechanics

-  Desirable bodywork

-  Well-known history

ESTIMATE: €600,000 / €900,000

The example we are offering for sale was acquired new by M. Fayet, an indus- trialist in Saint-Etienne, on the occasion of the 1937 Salon de l'Auto. It was most probably exhibited at this show, as the cylinder head cover is corked, as was the case with most salon cars of the period.

In the late 1940s, Mr. Fayet decided to give the car a "facelift" by modifying the grille and bumpers.

Mr. Fayet had a small collection of sports cars, all in red. In the 1950s, one of his sons borrowed one of them, had an accident and was killed. Shocked by this tragedy, Mr. Fayet decided to have all his cars repainted black. The roadster changed color from bright red to the darkest black.

Bruno Dalmas was the second owner. A masonry contractor and collector of vin- tage vehicles, he met Mr. Fayet in the 1960s. The T150C had been abandoned in a shed and covered in dust. It took him around ten years to convince Mr. Fayet to sell it to him, which finally happened in 1977, 40 years after its first appearance at the Paris Motor Show.

 1939 • TALBOT-LAGO T23 CABRIOLET USINE

FRENCH COLLECTORS REGISTRATION SERIAL NUMBER: 93261

-  One of the most beautiful factory convertibles

-  High-quality restoration

-  Ex Dupont

ESTIMATE: €140,000 / €180,000

The T23 launched in 1938 was the epitome of luxury at the time. This grace- fully shaped car was as sporty as Talbot wanted its models to be. Its 6-cylinder, 3,996 cm3, 115 hp engine could reach speeds of up to 180 km/h.

The car we are offering for sale has no details of its first owner, although its first registration number would have been 888 W1.

Mr. Dupont (ex-president of the Talbot Club) discovered it as a wreck, next to another wreck. Both were white.

In 1985, it appeared to be in the possession of Mr. Mimieux. Between 1990 and 2002, it was owned by Mr. Lelièvre (registration number 519 CYH 77), who then sold it to Mr. Fabre on January 17, 2003.

 1951 • DELAHAYE 135 MS COACH BY FIGONI

SERIAL NUMBER: 801736 FRENCH REGISTRATION

-  Joseph Figoni's personal car

-  Last 135 bodied by Figoni

-  Well-known history

-  High-quality restoration

ESTIMATE: €180,000 / €220,000

It was probably in January 1951 that chassis 801736 entered the Figoni & Falaschi workshops. For Joseph Figoni, the early 1950s were a time of renewal: the Model 135, on which he had worked wonders, was now at the end of its career. He had to renew himself while adapting to changing lines and fashions across the Atlantic. The arrival of the 235 provided the oppor- tunity to move on, and chassis 801736 gave him the chance to project him- self onto the brand's most successful new model, featuring a new horizontal grille. It's J. Figoni's return to aerodynamics and "sporty" lines. The master's last 135 body was his first 235, the first prototype of the "Elf".

It was against this backdrop that he built his latest model under Falaschi's aegis. The car was registered for the first time on April 6, 1951 in the name of Figoni & Falaschi until July 3 of the same year. It was then registered in the name of Joseph Figoni. On November 15, 1951, the car retained its regis- tration number, but became the property of Figoni & Cie. The F & F page is turned, but the car retains the small plate at the bottom of each door.

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Sale date

Saturday, February 3, 2024 at 6pm Osenat: 66, avenue de Breteuil, 75007 Paris

Collector Cars Department

E-mail: automobiles@osenat.com

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The Collector Cars Department

A forerunner in his market, Jean-Pierre Osenat set up a classic car department within his firm in 1977, barely a year after he became an auctioneer. Forty-six years later, this experience has made Osenat one of France's top three automotive houses. The department is notably responsible for the dispersal of the Gombert collection, which resulted in a still unrivalled sales record for an Alpine (A 210 prototype sold for €872,800), as well as numerous sales records, including a 1939 Bugatti 57 C Stelvio sold for €1,269,000, and the world auction record for a 1939 Citroën Traction 15/6 cabriolet, sold for €612,440.

Osenat also boasts a major asset in this sector: its own showroom for the cars entrusted to it, a veritable jewel case set at the foot of the Château de Fontainebleau. With a vast network of major collectors in France and abroad, and contacts with the most renowned automobile clubs and historians, Bellifontaine is able to appraise, value and sell all types of automobiles, in all styles and from all eras, making it the renowned auction house it is today.

Comprising a team of enthusiastic associates and four specialist car and motorcycle consultants, Osenat's Automobiles department is at the service of its customers, assisting them in both the sale and purchase of vehicles at auction,

OSENAT AUCTIONS

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A French Collection

Foundedin1976,Osenatisoneoftheworld'sleadingauctionhousesforhistorical memorabilia.Itregularlyachievesinternationalrecordsandmuseumpre- emptions in this category, as well as in the other sectors for which it organizes over80salesayear:furnitureandobjetsd'art, jewelry, watches, modernart,19th-centurypaintingand20th-centurydecorativearts.

A pioneering auction house, Osenat was also the first to offer classic automobiles at auction in 1977, and today has a dedicated showroom just a stone's throw from the Château de Fontainebleau.

With 4 sales and exhibition rooms in Paris, Versailles, Fontainebleau and Chailly-en-Bière, Osenat's 50 employees, experts and specialists act in the interests of their customers, above all to enhance the value of the works and objets d'art entrusted to them, enabling them to reach the highest bids.