Delahaye 1894-1955 - technical innovations and racing successes
Summary
There were around 10,000 car brands and designers - most of them have disappeared. One of these vanished brands is Delayaye. From the very beginning (1894), advanced technology and motorsport ambitions were at the heart of the brand, which Delage took over in 1935. Delahaye built the world's first V6 engine. In 1954, the brand was sold to Hotchkiss.
Estimated reading time: 3min
Preview (beginning of the article)
From 1894, the industrialist Emile Delahaye from Tours also built cars and used them successfully in races. He opened a new factory in Paris in 1898, but left in 1901 - engineers Charles Weiffenbach and Amédée Varlet took over the sceptre. In addition to large touring cars, the company increasingly produced commercial vehicles. By 1903, Delahaye was already offering removable cylinder heads and a water-cooled exhaust system for the 4.9-liter four-cylinder top model. Licenses were granted to Germany and the USA. The first V6 engine (3.2 liters, 30° angle) launched in 1911 was a pioneering achievement. In order to rationalize the variety of models, Delahaye, Chenard-Walcker and Donnet founded a purchasing and sales union in 1927, which lasted until 1932. During record runs in Montlhéry in 1934, a streamlined Delahaye covered 10,000 km at 168.5 km/h, among other things.
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