The Delage D8-120 was a grand luxury car built by Delahaye for Delage between 1936 and 1939. Based on a short chassis, it was the sporting version of the D8-100 and the last Delage to use an eight-cylinder engine.
Delage D8-120 at a glance
| Maker | Delage, built by Delahaye in Paris |
|---|---|
| Production | 1936–1939 |
| Based on | D8-100, short chassis |
| First shown | Paris Salon, 1936 |
| Body at launch | Aérosport coupé by Letourneur et Marchand |
| Engine | Delahaye-designed straight eight |
| D8-120 S | 4,743 cc, 27CV, from early 1938 |
| Second generation | February 1937, wider and lower |
| End of production | 1939, with the outbreak of war |
The D8-120 is described only in the French Wikipedia; the English article on the D8 supplies the background of the D8-100 it was based on.
History of the Delage D8-120
1936: a sporting D8-100
The D8-120 was built on a short chassis as the sporting version of the D8-100. It was first shown at the Paris Salon of 1936 as an Aérosport coupé without a central pillar, bodied by Letourneur et Marchand, and is counted among the most beautiful Delages. Its eight-cylinder engine was designed by Delahaye and made this the last eight-cylinder Delage.
1937–1938: two generations and a bigger engine
A second generation appeared in February 1937, keeping the same style but wider and lower, with separate running boards on a lowered and lightened chassis. A single streamlined example by Pourtout was exhibited at the salon. At the beginning of 1938 the D8-120 was replaced by the D8-120 S, whose engine grew to 4,743 cc and 27CV.
1939: the war ends the line
Production stopped for good with the war. Some chassis that had been built before 1939 were only bodied after the liberation of France in 1944–1945, so a few D8-120s appeared on the road later than their build date suggests.
Design and features
- Short chassis: the sporting alternative to the long-wheelbase D8-100.
- Coachbuilt style: the launch body was a pillarless Aérosport coupé by Letourneur et Marchand, with a one-off Pourtout coupé shown in Paris.
- Delahaye engine: an eight-cylinder unit designed by the parent company, enlarged to 4,743 cc in the D8-120 S.
- End of a line: no eight-cylinder Delage was built after it.
Delage D8-120 versions
- D8-120 (1936–1937): first generation on the short chassis.
- D8-120, second generation (from February 1937): wider and lower body, lowered chassis, separate running boards.
- D8-120 S (from early 1938): 4,743 cc, 27CV.
- Pourtout coupé (1937 salon): a single streamlined body by Pourtout.
The D8-120 was the last development of the Delage D8, and its stablemate in the late 1930s range was the six-cylinder Delage D6. The earlier six-cylinder cars are described on the Delage DI page. More cars are in the Delage collection.
Sources
- Delage D8-120, French Wikipedia: history, bodies, D8-120 S
- Delage D8, English Wikipedia: D8-100 background, Delahaye ownership
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