Delahaye 135

The Delahaye 135 debuted at the 1935 Paris Motor Show, offering a sophisticated chassis and a durable 3.6-liter inline-6 engine. Its engineering was proven on the track, with competition versions winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1938 and the Monte Carlo Rally in 1937 and 1939. Delahaye sold the 135 as a rolling chassis, allowing clients to commission custom bodies from the era's most celebrated coachbuilders.

Collectors prize the 135 for its magnificent coachwork. Firms like Figoni et Falaschi, Chapron, Saoutchik, and Pourtout created some of the most dramatic and beautiful automotive designs of the Art Deco period on the 135 platform. The combination of a sporting chassis and bespoke, sculptural bodywork makes these cars true works of art. A car's value is almost entirely dependent on which *carrossier* built the body and the car's documented history.

The market for the Delahaye 135 is defined by coachwork and provenance. An average sale price around $201,600 suggests that while top-tier examples with jaw-dropping bodies are scarce, more accessible cars from lesser-known coachbuilders or with less-documented histories do trade. The vast price range, from $55,000 to $665,000, shows the immense gap between project cars and concours-quality examples from a famed *carrossier*.

Prices range from $55,000 for project cars to $665,000 for exceptional examples with documented, desirable coachwork.