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Delaunay-Belleville 1904-1948 - Elitist

Name: Delaunay-Belleville Type F 1908
Brand: Delaunay-Belleville

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Created in 2011

Text:

Roger Gloor

Photos:

Bonhams

Bruno von Rotz

Artcurial

Archiv

Bonhams

Bruno von Rotz

Artcurial

Archiv

Delaunay-Belleville Type F (6 cyl.,5902cm3, 45hp)

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Delaunay-Belleville Type 06 45/50 Double Pare Brise (1913) - offered as lot 010 at the Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction on August 19, 2016

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Delaunay-Belleville HB4 Tourer (1911) - not sold at Bonhams Paris Sale 2012, highest bid € 110'000 (lot 273)

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Delaunay Belleville Limousine Type VL8 (1932) - Barn find of the century - Baillon collection - as lot 23 at the Artcurial auction at the Rétromobile on February 6, 2015

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Summary

There were around 10,000 car brands and designers - most of them have disappeared. Delaunay-Belleville is also one of these vanished brands. The French brand was very elitist; its customers were kings and tsars. The first models were characterized by their size, quality and high price. Their last own model was produced in 1936.

Estimated reading time: 3min

Preview (beginning of the article)

SA des Automobiles Delaunay-Belleville in St. Denis near Paris was founded in 1903 by Louis Delaunay. He had worked for the steam boiler manufacturer Belleville and married its daughter. Marius Barbarou joined the company as a designer; he had previously worked for Clément and Benz. The first Delaunay-Belleville exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1904 were characterized by their size, quality and high price . Instead of drip oilers, they already had a high-pressure lubrication system. The kings of Spain and Greece and the Tsar of Russia were among the customers. The circular radiator grille became a hallmark of the brand, as did the massive angular radiator frame on Rolls-Royces. Incidentally, the six-cylinder Delaunay-Belleville models added in 1908 were respectfully referred to as "French Rolls-Royces" in the British Isles.

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