Supplied new by the sole UK concessionaire, University Motors Ltd of London
Estimate: £40,000 - £50,000
Registration No: EYO 363
Chassis No: 51639
MOT: Exempt
Supplied new by the sole UK concessionaire, University Motors Ltd of London
Laid-up during WW2 and then dormant due to fire damage for over forty years
Restored and reconfigured by the seller before returning to the road in 1999
Matching chassis and engine numbers
4.7 litre straight-eight engine professionally overhauled by MacDonald Racing
Cotal four-speed electromagnetic transmission professionally refurbished too
Believed but not warranted to have covered 59,000 miles from new
Handmade bodytub but Talbot Lago 'pontoon' wings
The sole French manufacturer to win the Indianapolis 500 when its Type Y took the chequered flag in 1914, Delage also enjoyed sufficient grand prix success the following decade to be crowned ‘World Champion of Car Builders’ not to mention setting various Land Speed Records. A credible rival to Bugatti, Delahaye and Hispano-Suiza, its model range grew to an unsustainable degree during the 1930s. Thus by 1935, the year it went into voluntary liquidation, Delage was offering no fewer than sixteen different chassis, nine distinct engines and twenty-six catalogued bodystyles! Reincorporated later that same year as the Société Nouvelle des Automobiles Delage thanks to the efforts of its preeminent Parisian dealer (a British expat by the name of Walter Watney) and former arch rival Delahaye, the new entity fielded a far smaller range.
Arguably even more surprising than Delahaye’s vital help was its decision to market / position the reborn Delage’s flagship models above its own. Unveiled at the October 1935 Paris Salon, the Delage D8-100 and its sportier, shorter wheelbase sibling, the D8-120 were powered by a bespoke 4.3 litre OHV straight-eight engine allied to Cotal electromagnetic four-speed transmission. Drawing heavily on the Delahaye ‘parts bin’, they nevertheless retained a distinct identity and appeal. Indeed, the D8-120 swiftly became the darling of France’s most prestigious coachbuilders (Saoutchik, Letourneur et Marchand, Chapron and Portout etc) who used it as the basis for numerous show stopping creations. Uprated with an enlarged 4750cc straight-eight during late 1937, the D8-120 could exceed 100mph. Praised by the contemporary motoring press for its refinement, roadholding, performance and light steering, the most potent Delage utilised a box-section steel chassis equipped with independent front suspension and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Promoted by its maker as the ‘Haute Expression de l’Elegance Francaise’, two D8-120s were chosen to represent France at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Some sources estimate that as few as sixty-six were sold, while others put the total closer to 100. Still turning heads in the twenty-first century, D8-120s have enjoyed considerable success at Pebble Beach, Villa d’Este, Hampton Court and the Peninsula Classics etc.
Supplied new by University Motors (London) Ltd, Delage’s sole UK concessionaire, chassis 51639 was issued with the London number plate ‘EYO 363’ on July 13th 1938. Initially bodied as a Four Light Sports Saloon by Coachcraft, the D8-120 was laid-up during World War Two. Reawakened with the advent of peace, the Grand Routier caught fire in 1957. Mothballed for over forty years with irrevocably damaged bodywork, the Delage was restored and converted into a Special by the vendor. Completed in 1999, work included professional overhauls of both the original engine and transmission (the former carried out by Macdonald Racing). Believed but not warranted to have covered a mere 59,000 miles from new due to its lengthy period of inactivity, ‘EYO 363’ started readily upon inspection.
Sounding decidedly purposeful (its original chrome plated headers are mated to a large bore exhaust), the D8-120 promises to be faster than most 1930s cars given its shortened chassis and lightweight body. A former metalworking teacher whose students contributed to the renovation, the seller’s advancing years have seen the Special used less and less and prompted its sale. Although recommissioning would be advisable, the Delage could be used in its current configuration or refurbished to resemble one of its more exotic, trophy winning brethren.
Other early consignments include:
1961 Jaguar MkII 3.8
Desirable, manual / overdrive, home market car with an exceptional history file
Estimate £25,000 - £30,000
1970 Jaguar E-Type 4.2 2+2
1 of just 1,040 RHD home-market examples built
No Reserve
Auction: 18th March, 2026 12:00
Kelham Hall | Newark, Nottinghamshire
