The Delahaye Type 165 was a V12 grand-touring car that carried the prestige of Delahaye’s pre-war racers into a road car. It was built in only four coachbuilt examples on a chassis derived from the Type 135, and it was replaced by the six-cylinder Type 175 in early 1948.
Delahaye 165 at a glance
| Maker | Delahaye, Paris |
|---|---|
| Type | Véhicule de grand tourisme, V12 |
| Engine | 4.5-litre V12, naturally aspirated |
| Chassis | based on the 2.70 m Type 135SC wheelbase |
| Coachbuilt chassis | four Type 165 chassis built |
| Chassis numbers | 4071 (60741), 4072 (60742), 4073 (60743), 4074 (60744) |
| Bodies | two by Henri Chapron, two by Figoni et Falaschi |
| Survivors | two, the Figoni roadsters |
| Replaced by | Delahaye Type 175, early 1948 |
The Type 165 is described in a section of the English Wikipedia article on the Delahaye 145; this page is based on one source. Free photographs of the 165 itself are not available, so the previous thumbnail of the record is kept.
History of the Delahaye 165
From the racing programme
The Type 165 came out of Delahaye’s V12 racing programme. Only four of the 4.5-litre Type 145 racecars had been built, all for Lucy O’Reilly Schell and her Écurie Bleue team, and their chassis were based on the 2.70 m wheelbase of the Type 135SC. From the twelve sets of V12 engine parts that remained, Delahaye built five bodied racecars for O’Reilly Schell and four coachbuilt grand-touring Type 165 chassis.
Four chassis, four bodies
The four Type 165 chassis were stamped as build numbers 4071 to 4074, with chassis numbers 60741 to 60744. The first two were bodied by Henri Chapron, one as a Dandy Series cabriolet and the other as an enclosed coach. The remaining two, 60743 and 60744, were built as streamlined avant-garde roadsters by Joseph Figoni of Figoni et Falaschi. Only the two Figoni cars survive; both Chapron cars were destroyed by bombing during the Second World War.
The end of the V12
The Type 165 gave Delahaye a grand-touring flagship with the company’s most exotic engine, but the model could not be sustained economically. In early 1948 it was replaced by the 4.5-litre six-cylinder Type 175, a simpler and more practical car on an entirely new chassis. The V12 thus ended Delahaye’s pre-war engineering tradition, and the two surviving Figoni roadsters are among the most celebrated French coachbuilt cars of the period.
Design and features
- V12 engine: a 4.5-litre unit descended from the Type 145 racing cars.
- Racing chassis: the 2.70 m Type 135SC wheelbase with independent front suspension shared with Delage and Talbot.
- Figoni coachwork: two streamlined roadsters with avant-garde bodywork.
- Rarity: four chassis built, two surviving.
Delahaye 165 versions
- Chapron Dandy cabriolet (60741): open body, destroyed in the war.
- Chapron enclosed coach (60742): closed body, destroyed in the war.
- Figoni roadster (60743): streamlined open body, survives.
- Figoni roadster (60744): streamlined open body, survives.
The 165 grew out of the Delahaye 135 chassis and was replaced by the Delahaye 175. More cars are in the Delahaye collection.
Video: Delahaye Type 165 cabriolet
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Delahaye 145, English Wikipedia: Type 165 section: chassis numbers, bodies, survivors
