The Delage DI was a French luxury car shown at the Paris Salon of 1923 and built until October 1928 in 9,284 examples. Its 2.1-litre four-cylinder engine and wide choice of coachbuilt bodies made it one of the best-known Delages of the 1920s.
Delage DI at a glance
| Maker | Delage, Courbevoie |
|---|---|
| Produced | 1923–1928 |
| First shown | Paris Salon, 1923 |
| Built | 9,284 |
| Engine | 2,116 cc four, 30 hp |
| Sport version | 50 hp |
| Top speed | about 90 km/h |
| Engine layout | five-bearing crankshaft, OHV, two valves per cylinder |
| Ignition and cooling | magneto ignition, thermosyphon cooling |
| Gearbox | four-speed |
| Carburettor | Zenith |
| Bodies | berline, torpedo, saloon, coupé, cabriolet, roadster, skiff |
The model has no English Wikipedia article of its own; this page uses the French article and the company history on the English one.
History of the Delage DI
1923: a new four-cylinder Delage
The DI was presented at the Paris Salon in 1923. It used a 2,116 cc four-cylinder engine of 30 hp, or 50 hp in the sport version, with a five-bearing crankshaft, overhead valves and two valves per cylinder, giving a top speed of about 90 km/h. The engine was made reliable and powerful from 1925 by Delage’s engine designer Albert Lory. Like other Delages of the period, the car had a four-speed gearbox and Zenith carburettors.
A car for every coachbuilder
The DI was sold with a wide range of bodywork: berline, torpedo, saloon, coupé chauffeur, cabriolet, roadster, runabout, skiff and sporting coupé versions. In 1923 Delage also built a hillclimb car on a DI chassis with larger wheels and a 5,107 cc CO block fed by three Zenith carburettors, which scored successes at La Turbie and Mont Ventoux.
1928: the end of the line
Production ran until October 1928 and reached 9,284 cars. The DI name was revived by the company for the DI-12 and DI-50 of 1935–1939, four-cylinder models that had nothing to do with the 1920s car except the badge.
Design and features
- Albert Lory’s four: from 1925 the 2.1-litre engine was developed by the designer of Delage’s racing engines.
- Many bodies: the chassis was sold to coachbuilders, so the DI appeared as everything from a torpedo to a skiff.
- Racing pedigree nearby: Delage’s V12 and straight-eight racing cars of the same years made the marque famous, and a hillclimb special used a DI chassis.
- Volume for a luxury maker: 9,284 cars was a large figure for a French luxury marque in the 1920s.
Delage DI versions
- DI (1923–1928): standard 2,116 cc four of 30 hp.
- DI sport: 50 hp version for sporting bodywork.
- DI hillclimb special (1923): 5,107 cc CO block, three carburettors, larger wheels.
- Coachbuilt bodies: berline, torpedo, saloon, cabriolet, roadster, skiff and coupé.
- DI-12 and DI-50 (1935–1939): later cars that reused the DI name.
The DI was followed at the top of the range by the eight-cylinder Delage D8 and the six-cylinder Delage D6, whose last sporting version was the D8-120. More cars are in the Delage collection.
Sources
- Delage DI, French Wikipedia: engine, bodies, production
- Delage, English Wikipedia: company history, 1920s models
