Delahaye Car Books - History and Models

Delahaye - Brooklands Portfolio

Brooklands Portfolio book about Delahaye. Describes the Delahaye 12-16 hp, 20-30 hp, 23.8 Hp Drop-Head Coupé, 3.5 litre, Club Coupé V-12, Type 135, Type 135M, Type 135MS, Type 135 Competition Type 145, Type 165, Type 175 S, Type 235 and Type 235-M.

• Over 40 articles, taken from contemporary British and American car magazines, provide much information about history, model changes and technology.
• Also driving impressions, tests, comparison tests, technical specifications, etc.

Information

Details:	140 pages, 28 x 21 x 0.9 cm / 11 x 8.25 x 0.35 in, paperback
Illustrations:	300 b&w photos
Publisher:	Brooklands Books (GB, 2010)
ISBN:	9781855208810

More information on the Brooklands Portfolio books

Figoni on Delahaye

NEW

"Figoni on Delahaye," authored by Richard Adatto and co-written by Diana Meredith, celebrates the artistic brilliance of Joseph Figoni and his exquisite designs for Delahaye automobiles. The book showcases Figoni's creative process through his sketches and designs, supplemented by clay models and wire mock-ups.
While only a few artifacts remain, modern photographs, including those by Michael Furman, reveal the timeless beauty of Figoni's creations, now meticulously restored.

The Figoni Archive, comprising notebooks, vintage photos, and historical records, enriches the narrative of these iconic cars. Over fifty Delahayes, each featuring Figoni's distinctive coachwork, are meticulously detailed in the book. An appendix titled "Joseph Figoni's Designs and Drawings" presents numerous unpublished sketches.
Claude Figoni provides insights into his father's journey from humble beginnings to becoming France's preeminent coachbuilder, while Richard Adatto shares personal anecdotes of his experiences with car enthusiasts and the restoration community.

Information

Author:	Richard Adatto, Diana Meredith, Michael Furman
Details:	328 pages, 28.5 x 24 x 3.6 cm / 11.2 x 9 x 1.42 in, hardback
Illustrations:	302 b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	Dalton Watson Fine Books (USA, 2023)
ISBN:	9781956309133

Figoni & Delahaye 1934-1954 - La haute couture automobile

Master coachbuilder Joseph Figoni contributed greatly to the prestige of Delahaye automobiles from 1934 to 1954, leading a long series of innovations and modernizations for Delahaye automobiles. Through his innovative and elegant achievements, he became the leader of the generation of coachbuilders, recognized by his peers and a significant number of creators, artists and researchers as the master of modern bodywork and beyond the automobile of the future.

Born in Italy, Joseph Figoni lived in France from his earliest years. He opened a vehicle repair garage and gradually found himself moving towards the design and construction of complete bodies, particularly for racing cars.

Launched by Carrosserie Figoni, Alfa-Romeo cars won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1933 and 1934. An event that aroused the interest of a certain Ovidio Falashi, an Italian industrialist at the time who decided to join forces with Joseph Figoni to create Carrosserie Figoni & Falashi in 1935. Thus, nearly one hundred and fifty Delahaye chassis were bodied in the Joseph Figoni workshops, at 14, rue Lemoine in Boulogne-sur-Seine.
A large number of these cars can be found in the prize list of the most prestigious concours d'elegance, and sometimes as major models at the Paris motor shows. Fully part of the national heritage, these unique models and true works of art, arouse the covetousness of the greatest collectors in the world.

This work is produced by Jean-Paul Tissot, in the form of a box set, which provides us with a special, updated and unpublished study of examples of Delahaye cars bodied by the famous and talented coachbuilder Joseph Figoni, enriched with unpublished iconography thanks to the contribution of the archives of Claude Figoni, son of the famous coachbuilder.

Information

Author:	Jean-Paul Tissot
Details:	256 pages, 29 x 24 cm / 11.4 x 9 in, hardback, in cassette
Illustrations:	518 b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	ETAI (F, 2013)
ISBN:	9782726896761

Delahaye - La belle carrosserie française

Antem, Chapron, Dubos, Faget-Varnet, Figoni & Falaschi, Franay, Guilloré, Labourdette, Letourneur & Marchand, Pourtout, Saoutchik... More than 80 coachbuilders dressed the Delahayes from 1894 to 1954: here are their works brought together for the first time.
Whether they are creators of individual or small series models, artisanal coachbuilders or renowned stylists, they have all contributed to building the legend of this prestigious French brand which has never had its own bodywork workshop.

Thanks to this exceptional book of 384 pages illustrated with more than 680 photos, it is finally possible to discover in its entirety the art of the men who designed Delahaye bodywork in a vision that is both panoramic and detailed with its evolution over time.

Information

Author:	Jean-Paul Tissot
Details:	384 pages, 29 x 24 cm / 11.4 x 9 in, hardback
Illustrations:	660 b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	ETAI (F, 2006)
ISBN:	9782726886977

Delahaye 135

Who would have believed, at the beginning of the 1930s, that Delahaye would undertake the construction of sports cars? The automobile activity of the respectable firm on the rue du Banquier was then based on a range of very conservative passenger cars, while the manufacture of utility vehicles provided the company with its daily bread. The economic crisis and its consequences forced Delahaye to set out to conquer new markets.

From 1936, the development of the six-cylinder 135 concretized the sporting orientation of the brand, while making the main coachbuilders happy. Dressed by Chapron, Figoni et Falaschi or Saoutchick, the 135s were, in turn, classic, daring or extravagant. At the same time, the sportiest versions acquired a remarkable track record and won, among others, the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1938. The war temporarily put an end to this success.
In 1946, Delahaye resumed production of its successful model, which until 1951 embodied a certain idea of French elegance and grand touring. With great robustness and remarkable versatility, the Delahaye 135 and its derivatives are still, fifty years after their disappearance, among the most emblematic models of national construction.

Information

Author:	Marc-Antoine Colin
Details:	192 pages, 31 x 23.5 cm / 12.2 x 9.25 in, hardback
Illustrations:	150 b&w and 150 colour photos
Publisher:	ETAI (F, 2003)
ISBN:	9782726885499